Talib Kweli - The Proud (Album Version (Explicit))(2002)

[00:00.68] (Talib Kweli)
[00:06.07] The proud
[00:06.92] Stand tall or don't stand at all, c'mon
[00:09.62] Uhh, yeah
[00:12.37] Break it down
[00:18.66] What we do?
[00:20.44] (Chorus)
[00:21.46] We survive, it's more than pride
[00:22.31] We stay alive, ready to ride
[00:29.56] (Chorus) - repeat through intro
[00:30.48] (Intro: Talib Kweli)
[00:31.36] One two, one two yo
[00:33.16] Aight. put it down yo
[00:39.43] June 11, 2001
[00:43.04] Timothy McVeigh is executed
[00:44.80] And the country breathe a sigh of relief
[00:46.68] Goodness prevails over evil, it seems
[00:49.34] Somehow when he's gone, we feel safer
[00:56.59] Little do we know
[00:58.33] (Verse One)
[00:59.28] Today the paper say Timothy McVeigh's in hell
[01:01.91] So everything's okay and all must be well
[01:03.76] I remember in Oklahoma when they put out the blaze
[01:06.55] And put Islamic terrorist bombing, on the front page
[01:09.27] It's like saying only gays get AIDS, propaganda
[01:11.02] Like saying the problem's over when they locked that man up
[01:14.65] Wrong! It's just the beginning, the first inning
[01:16.43] Battle for America's soul, the devil's winning
[01:19.12] The President is Bush, the Vice President's a Dick
[01:21.85] So a whole lot of fuckin is what we gon' get
[01:23.60] They don't wanna raise the babies so the election is fixed
[01:26.30] That's why we don't be fuckin with politics
[01:29.01] They bet on that, parents fought and got wet for that
[01:30.82] Hosed down, bit by dogs, and got blacks into house arrest for that
[01:33.53] It's all good except for that - we still poor
[01:36.29] Money, power and respect is what we kill for, for real
[01:39.88] (Chorus) - repeat through interlude
[01:43.47] (Interlude)
[01:56.05] August 4, 2001
[02:01.40] A drunken police officer mows down an entire family in Brooklyn
[02:05.93] The judge lets him go with no bail
[02:08.65] It reminds us, of just how worthless our lives are to the justice system
[02:11.46] I struggle, to explain the situation to my son, it's hard
[02:15.09] (Verse Two)
[02:17.78] Niggaz with knowledge is more dangerous than than niggaz with guns
[02:19.50] They make the guns easy to get and try to keep niggaz dumb
[02:22.29] Target the gangs and graffiti with the Prop 21
[02:24.97] I already know the deal but what the fuck do I tell my son?
[02:27.64] I want him livin right, livin good, respect the rules
[02:30.39] He's five years old and he still thinkin cops is cool
[02:32.20] How do I break the news that when he gets some size
[02:34.83] He'll be percieved as a threat or see the fear in they eyes
[02:36.60] It's in they job description to terminate the threat
[02:39.36] So 41 shots to the body is what he can expect
[02:42.09] The precedent is set, don't matter if he follow the law
[02:43.87] How do I give my son pride and make him swallow it all (damn!)
[02:46.59] Fuck the pigs! I think the pigs killed Big and 'Pac too
[02:50.14] If they didn't they know who did, they got to!
[02:52.80] Who they serve and protect, nigga not you
[02:54.61] Cops shot off of ten G's but they got glocks too
[02:56.49] Let you protect yourself, or better yet respect yourself
[02:59.11] Straight into the hospital is where you gotta check yourself
[03:01.92] They be gettin tips from snitches and rival crews
[03:03.70] Doin them favors so they workin for the drug dealers too
[03:06.43] Just business enforcers with hate in they holsters
[03:09.15] Shoot you in the back, won't face you like a soldier
[03:11.80] Kurt Loder asked me what I say to a dead cop's wife
[03:13.62] Cops kill my people everyday, that's life
[03:16.32] (Chorus) - repeat through final interlude
[03:22.65] (Final Interlude)
[03:30.72] September 11, 2001
[03:39.76] Terrorists attack the Pentagon and the World Trade Center
[03:42.40] Kills thousand and permanently scars America's false sense of security
[03:45.19] We see the best examples of humanity in the face of the worst
[03:47.85] As fire fighters, police officers, rescue workers
[03:50.58] And volunteers of all sorts, fight to save lives
[03:53.29] The world will never be the same again
[03:55.05] (Verse Three)
[03:55.94] My heart go out to everybody at Ground Zero
[03:57.74] Red, black, yellow, white and brown heroes
[04:00.54] It's more complicated than black and white
[04:02.34] To give your own life is the greatest sacrifice
[04:04.98] But it's hard for me to walk down the block
[04:06.84] Seeing rats and roaches, crack viles and 40 ounce posters
[04:10.41] People broken down from years of oppression
[04:12.27] Become patriots when they way of life is threatened
[04:14.92] It's a hard conversation to have
[04:16.72] We lost kids, moms and dads, people ready to fight for the flag
[04:19.44] Damn, when did shit get this bad?
[04:21.26] America kill the innocent too, the cycle of violence is sad
[04:23.07] Damn! Welcome to the world, we here
[04:26.79] We've been at, war for years but it's much more clear (yeah)
[04:29.39] We got to face what lies ahead
[04:32.12] Fight for our truth and freedom and, ride for the dead
[04:34.82] (Chorus) - repeat to end
[04:38.48]