Fear Not of Man

(* - means "In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate") (Mos Def) Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem * If you can hear me ladies and gentlemen Then I'm very happy that you came here. Ooh-ooooooooooohhhh, ooh-ooooooooooooooohh-WHEEEEE! That was for Brooklyn. Ha ha, we get it everytime You got me on? Ohh Shout out to all of my crew, East-West, North-South All the continent, Europe, all abroad international Bring it in, bring it in, bring it in, bring it in It's a lot of things goin on y'all 21st century is comin 20th century almost done A lot of things have changed A lot of things have not, mainly us We gon' get it together right? I believe that Listen. people be askin me all the time, "Yo Mos, what's gettin ready to happen with Hip-Hop?" (Where do you think Hip-Hop is goin?) I tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with Hip-Hop? Whatever's happening with us" If we smoked out, Hip-Hop is gonna be smoked out If we doin alright, Hip-Hop is gonna be doin alright People talk about Hip-Hop like it's some giant livin in the hillside Comin down to visit the townspeople We +are+ Hip-Hop Me, you, everybody, we are Hip-Hop So Hip-Hop is goin where we goin So the next time you ask yourself where Hip-Hop is goin Ask yourself. where am I goin? How am I doin? Til you get a clear idea So. if Hip-Hop is about the people And the. Hip-Hop won't get better until the people get better Then how do people get better? (Hmmmm...) Well, from my understanding people get better When they start to understand that, they are valuable And they not valuable because they got a whole lot of money Or cause somebody, think they sexy But they valuable cause they been created by God And God, makes you valuable And whether or not you, recognize that value is one thing You got a lot of societies and governments Tryin to be God, wishin that they were God They wanna create satellites and cameras everywhere And make you think they got the all-seein eye Eh. I guess The Last Poets wasn't, too far off When they said that certain people got a God Complex I believe it's true I don't get phased out by none of that, none of that Helicopters, the TV screens, the newscasters, the. Satellite dishes. they just, wishin They can't really never do that When they tell me to fear they law When they tell me to try to Have some fear in my heart behind the things that they do This is what I think in my mind And this is what I say to them And this is what I'm sayin, to you check it All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm Fear not of men because men must die Mind over matter and soul before flesh Angels hold a pen keep a record in time We just passin and runnin like a caravan trader. The world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked But God is sufficient in disposin of affairs Gunmen and stockholders try to merit my fear But God is sufficient over plans they prepared Mos Def in the flesh, where you at, right here On this place called Earth, holdin down my square Bout to do it for y'all, and y'all at the fair So just bounce, come on bounce B-b-bounce b-bounce b-bounce-bounce And just. . Just step two three Just step two three and Step two. Two three and. One two three and four One two three and four Once again All over the world hearts pound with the rhythm Fear not of men because men must die Mind over matter and soul before flesh Angels hold a pen keep a record in time We just passin and runnin like a caravan freighter The world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked But God is sufficient in disposin of affairs Gunmen and stockholders try to merit your fear But God is sufficient over plans they prepared Mos Def in the flesh, where you at, right here On this place called Earth, holdin down my square Bout to represent in your whole atmosphere Bout to represent in your whole atmosphere To your atmosphere, to your atmosphere Oh-ooooooohhhhhhhhhh! That was for you - and Brooklyn too!