Inner City Boundaries

Once we have the knowledge of self as a people then we could be free And no devil could ever enter the boundaries I stand in the center around all these sounds I see Blessin' Allah that I found the key That's how we be We are by no means ashamed of our cultural background Not a tad bit 'fraid of change Look around it's the same ol' same ol' thang (Hey what's goin' on man?) (How you doin', man?) I can't call it Try to maintain, overlooking these boundaries I gotta be righteous, I gotta be me I gotta be conscious, I gotta be free I gotta be able, I gotta attack I gotta be stable, I gotta be black Who is that surrounding me? Enemy enemy you crossed the wrong boundary, poof! Wicked witness wizardry Disappear from here and end up in a tree Crossed the wrong boundary Baba ba baba ba baba Once we have the knowledge of self as a people then we could be free And no devil could ever enter the boundaries I stand in the center around all these sounds I see Blessin' Allah that I found the key That's how we be The sharp shooting wizard but not a Grand Dragon A chop off the block but my pants ain't saggin' Got a strong ass grip but my name ain't Money Grip Liked Gladys better when she sang with The Pips And when it comes to strength I'm surely of the stronger And when it comes to death I pray my children live longer Payback's a bitch, that's why I never borrow If the push come to shove I'd do a stick-up tomorrow With the group thing over and my flat top gone I'm livin' kinda lovely, only Allah above me Provin' that old time axiom, birds of a feather flock together Know where I'm coming from? I see, I saw, I'm the future, the past, I'm me, I'm y'all I'm the enemy, friend, and the law The beginner then end all The final call, the raw The win, the loss, the draw The summit, the peak, the wall, the downfall The energizing uprising black nigger The wise, the eyes, the dirt The overall ball, the earth And most importantly the birth of a new generation of blackness And we're forced to set our boundaries Once we have the knowledge of self as a people then we could be free And no devil could ever enter the boundaries I stand in the center around all these sounds I see Blessin' Allah that I found the key That's how we be I gotta be righteous, I gotta be me I gotta be conscious, I gotta be free I gotta be able to counterattack I gotta be stable, I gotta be black I gotta be open, gotta be me and I gotta keep hopin' we're gonna be free Gotta be able to counterattack Gotta be stable, gotta be black