Know That (feat. Talib Kweli)

I strike the empire back

I strike the empire back

Fuck the empire

High flying like the Millennium Falcon

Piloted by Han Solo

I never roll for dolo, frontin' on me's a no-no

You understand? Doing this for my family

Ha, check it out, y'all

Yo, I'm tryin' to make a dollar out of what makes sense

Add it up, told my daddy I'll be a rich man

You never know when your fate gon' switch hands

Get today's solid ground out of yesterday's quicksand

I was a young boy who dreamed about being a big man

On small loose leaf sheets I sketched a big plan

And gotta handle business properly

Boostin' our economy

Store it up and get my mom

Some waterfront property

Yesterday was not for me

But nowadays it's time for me

The streets is watchin' me

I watch back, that's the policy

Move along my odyssey

Like blood through the artery

Navigate the treacherous

And make it seem effortless

Let those who made the exodus

Seeking the north beacon

From beatin' and hog eatin'

From punishment all season

Them hands cracked, they're bleedin'

Cotton thorns in your palms

It's for y'all that I sketch these songs

And it goes

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow

I fear no man, because faith is the arrow

My vocal chord travel worldwide to block narrow

We can blow with the ammo or go mano-a-mano

Kweli, is you with me? (What up, what up?)

Let's make it happen

I burn through your argument with action

My eyes stay fastened

To tomorrow looking for a brighter day

When y'all wanna leave, y'all?

Right away

Shout it out from East, West (From South to Northern)

The Cackalacks (To California)

From the cold (To the warmest)

To the borders ('Cross the waters)

Understand

We got love in the place

Shout out to all the queens (All the seeds)

To all the teams (That's getting cream)

From outlaw (To MCs)

Make it happen (Do your thing)

Understand

Ladies and gentlemen, guess who?

The illest MC in the atmosphere

Yeah, the soul controller

Who roam the frontier like a Buffalo Soldier

I follow the code of honor like a real man gonna

Never disrespect no women 'cause I love my mama

These cats be givin' us praise

But it ain't that accurate

I give it up to God, all that love and attachment

Get scary well-prepared with the shears when it get hairy

Like how these **** is lookin' like some fairies

And singin' like canaries to the beast

And anybody who will listen to 'em clearly

Y'all don't hear me though

Even when I'm comin' through in stereo

You make a mockery of what I represent properly

Yo, why you startin' me? (Stop)

I take that shit straight to the artery

Intellectual property, I got the title and the deed

I paid for it with the tears and sweat and what I bleed

MC's imitate the way we walk, the way we talk

You cats spit lyrical pork with no spiritual thought

Plus your flow's a little bit off

You come across soft

Back in the days **** like that on stage got tossed off

Need to get crossed off the guest list

It's like you gotta be disrespected and thrown out the exit

To get the message

Sometimes your sunshine gets snatched like a necklace

When you get too drunk on power and your drive gets reckless

Check it, MC's in my face after I slug you, then I hug you

If I gotta dead you, know it's only 'cause I love you

Shout it out from East, West (From South to Northern)

From the richest (To the poorest)

To the elders (In their coffins)

Living native (Dyin' for it)

Understand

We got love in the place

Shout out from up top (To the middle)

To black bottom (Sky high)

Whether you colder than December

Or hotter than July

It don't stop till we complete this

Keep this fly

It's so much to life when you just stay black

Stay black, stay black, stay black, stay black

Stay black, stay black, stay black, stay black, stay black

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people

My people, my people, my people, people, p-people