As I sit here on a Tuesday night
listenin’ to the Roots tellin’ me "Never do" on my MP3
I picked up the phone to call my cousin OMARI
I dialed his number and got a disconnect tone
Then I remember, as the Roots crew played melodic on my sonics,
My cuddy was long gone
I picked up the muddy colored cutty and my drag was so strong
The spirits stung my soul
I let myself drift as the chemicals took control
I asked myself what do I do this for?
And myself answered
You do it for the cats shootin’ craps on the block
And those same cats that shoot back until the shots do stop
I do this for those crooked cops in the unmarked cars
And them same cats in the gas guzzlin' trucks-
posin’ for chicks at the Shark's Bar
Able to leap 22 inch rims in a single bound
I do this for the profound nature of my restless town
I do this for the Jews in Israel who lose their life by the baker’s dozen
I DO THIS FOR MY COUSIN
I do this until I understand the appeal to walk on a crowded school bus
With children from infants to teens and blow them to SMITHEREENS
This shit here IS REAL!
But I recognize why you always hear about the Jewish view
Because the Jews DO own the news
And I understand da propaganda
But they’re looking out for their people
And to THEM the Muslims are evil
BELIEVE they suffer at the hands of the Jews too
Never Do
"Never Do"
I do this for the towns in Africa who ran out of space to bury their dead
And the African men who think they can cure AIDS by taking a virgin to bed
I do this until the dirt stops pouring over babies and babies and babies
Till the dirt stop pouring over men and men and men
Till the dirt stop pouring over women and the women…
God
…The women who can no longer bore
Because they are no more
EXTINCT
And I try NOT to think that this was someone’s master plan from the brink!
And I START to think, fuck Elvis! Hitler is in the building!
Not so much the man but his methods of killing
After the Jews, who do you think was next? His God willing?
And I START to think there is a 'LOTT' in congress that stinks
And I START to think if Strom Thurmond had his way
Lynching would be a national HOLIDAY
And as for the Billie with the same last name
I can hear her ghostly echoes sang "STRANGE FRUIT…"
"Never Do"
Never Do
I do this for North Korea who need light to see the point
Why the U.S. won’t allow them to use nuclear energy
to (so call) electrify the joint
Come on...
I do this for everyone's agenda because remember-not to long ago
Smoky traced the tracks of our tears and they led not for from there
And fought gorillas in the bush…And BUSH I do swear
Bush needs to join his own axis of evil and make that muthafucka a square
I do this for all them 50-Cent nigghas
Those Tupac thugged out wishin' to be dead nigghas
Hardcore "I got shot so I'm harder than all you nigghas.”
...Well so did my uncle in the Vietnam War,
and he smiles at me every time I see him...
So Fitty, whajja so sore for?
You knew the game...
But I suppose when your blood stained
It spelled out "SHUCK, JIVE and ENTERTAIN"
For bloody Hip Hop, how mundane
I was watching MTV and whatshisname,
the white boy who hates his mama came,
and he's contemplating "What direction can hip hop go in."
And I realize if this Elvis impersonator
is deciding the direction of my culture, we are truly broken.
I do this in the memory of Jam Master Jay
All these fake ass thugs need to throw on some Adidas and walk that way
Hip Hop died that day and gave birth to organized crime
And I see even clearer that it was never about the rhyme
Every ending is enigmatic
And I could give a fuck if Nas is still illmatic
And who got beef with Jay
You would think with all these ear and eyes on them
They’d have more constructive shit to say
But then…That wouldn’t be cool
Cause they don't teach us about the Talented Tenth in public school...
Never Do
"Never Do"
Regan ran for president--if I hear a campaign for Will Smith
He’ll get my three fifths of a vote
Even as three fifths of a man
My soul is whole and I have hope
If the end justifies the mean
Then I mean to justify the end of this piece
With peace
But if not lets not forget
There is a warrior behind these eyes
Willing to die for those I do this for
If my peace is compromised.
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