[Mos Def] [Keep rising] Medina Green [Keep rising] DCQ [Keep rising] Long I too(?) [Keep rising] the Mighty Mos Def [Keep rising] can't forget Cess [Keep keep keep...] Mercenary from the De La [Keep rising to the top...] Lace the beats up tight, yo tell 'em Dee
[DCQ] Four a.m. laid up at the res Got a call made my heart jump out my chest My man's got beef at the dance, exits is blocked Enemies outside with they heat on cop
He's says that if he goes outside He knows he gone get clapped My man from way back Ain't going out like that
He got peoples in the club and his ties is strong But he know that they can only hold it down for so long So now he's trapped off and he's calling on me To come and represent like I'm G.O.D.
Of course I must agree, 'cause this is family If tables was turned he would do it for me So now I'm hopping out my bed, Ready put a nigga never seen 'pon dead
Guess a black man can't have no peace Pull out my heat Woke up out my sleep over crosstown beef
[Chorus] Crosstown beef be like crosstown traffic, thick Brothers be on some real shit Everyman get scared and prepare for confrontation "When the slugs penetrate you feel a burning sensation" Crosstown beef be like crosstown traffic, thick Brothers be on some real shit Everyman get scared when prepared for confrontation "Getting closer to God, in a tight situation"
[Mos Def] Yo check it It was a friday in the month of may Around the time when everybody put they game on play See my girl was out in deesa(?) it was all on me
I figured I would hit the metro on the mad L.D. Now everybody know what the spring time is about Players polish up they game cause the shorties be out I was rocking jew-els and my wears was crisp
My man said there was a jam that I shuould not miss I hopped in the livery(?) without a moment to spare and when I rolled up on the function everybody was there I was catching sexy stares from the shams in the rear
Saw my peers and heads I haven't seen in years Now I was getting caught up in the nightlife mix Then I see my main man from my old time clique "Oh shit, not my nigga Mos Def in the house"
"Oh shit baby-paw, I ain't know you came home" We talked about that and this and way back since When I seen a caravan sporting wild dark tints Its window half cracked and they was crusing slow
And was circling the block like they was po-po Said I was jibbing with my man so I paid it no mind That's when the shots rang out from the passenger side It was a forty-five bark that made us all duck down
Girls was letting out screams as shells hit the ground I was looking for my man so we both could split That's when he turned to me and said "yo Mos I'm hit" I guess the street life don't leave a nigga alone
Laced up at the party and he just came home If he survive I know he goin' retaliate If he don't, they bought theyself a burial plate Either way situation status on code red I'm on the horn to tell the fam its on like Con Ed
[Chorus]
[DCQ:] [Peace] Peace [Who dis?] The God 2 [Yo whattup son?] Nothing much, maintaining you? [Right] I just came out the bing and shit is mad real,
This shit ain't bout nothing son [Son I know how you feel] My girl is in the world trying to raise my seed There's mad shit that she want and mad shit that she need [true dat] Plus she got some nigga, knocking at her door [Who dis?]
Some crab-ass cat that she messed with before [From where?] Always acting wild disrespecting my G, [Stop playing..] I think he gotta go, what's the verdict DC
[DCQ] Verdict guilty, left hand on the scene You might be locked down but you're part of the team If you say gotta go, then that's what he gotta do Ain't nothing sweet son, yo you know I'm here for you
[Cash] No doubt, come check me on the day of knowledge born Cause this phone shit ain't real, yeah that tap shit be on Plus the God want to see you so pull his name too Cause he soon come home son, you know how he do
[DCQ] Yeah the God get down so I see you on the V-I I'm a do my best to get this broad to bring you some lye Peace to the Gods, read your math, hold your head and as far as that kid goes, remember what I said- Peace
Yes sir, yes sir You know the run-ins Excellence always Brooklyn embassy (Exclusive) Black star shining You are now rockin' with the best Brooklyn's own Brooklyn's only M-O-S definite Big shot out to cash money Shya Medina Green
Listen, 3 words for the con... No you aren't Smoke, smoke but your no cigar Soon as Mos hit the open market The ghetto know the coppa get on my back like an open warrant Brooklyn sick so retarded Hop on the phone and you told your partner, Hop off of him and told yo mama Got no type of hope it's problems happen a folk It's harder get out your rhyme book and smoke some skama Ever far you go, I'm going harder Understand, I rock today like it's no tomorrow Last year my catalog was so impressive that This year my rookie card's a great investment Am I hot, nigga? Change the question, are you hotter than me? See we could take out the product and see Y'all don't want no drama with me without a part in a film, a director and a call from the guild Y'all don't want no problems for real, so why you spittin a beat? Y'all youngin', don't y'all need to be sleep? Secretly I'm that nigga that you dreamin to be It ain't as easy as that? There's only one Mos Leave it at that Whatever shine you had, I'm leaving with that I give a fat babies ass where your peoples is at Or where your heaters is at You fuck around and catch a leak in your back Get a hotdog you need to relax Don't get beaten up cause of rap And don't get mad at me cause your wack Shit, genetic is the reason for that You ain't seeing me, I'm seeing to that I'm from the brightest, hottest star to ever be on the map And that's the B-R-O Y'all don't want no trouble rest Mighty mother fucker Mos Def Like that Now get with it niggas
Yo I was sold to a sick European by a rich African battlin' Middle Passages, I can't go back again Battlin' years of denyin' history, lies and mysteries Wives with misty eyes watchin' their niggas be beaten viciously Battle in the wilderness of North America Ran by the river, only stoppin' to pray Chased by predators Terrorists with etiquette who vote and kill their president Their capacity for evil so evident and prevalent Ain't no hesitation involved, a nation dissolved While we sit back waitin' to evolve Those who would trade in their freedom For their protection deserve neither Fuck a name, fuck tradition Religion, you learn Jesus Turn the other cheek Inherit the Earth, just stay meek Fuck the way you speak Try to walk, we chop off your feet Fast forward to 2003, niggas beef The psychology of children are slaves to run deep
Hell yeah, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo What's beef? hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo That's beef, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo It's always your own peoples Sometimes it's your own peoples yo Yeah yeah, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo What's beef? hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo That's beef, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo It's always your own peoples Sometimes it's your own peoples yo
Beef is not what Jay said to Nas Beef is when workin' niggas can't find jobs So they tryna find niggas to rob Tryna find bigger guns so they can finish the job Beef is when the crack kids can't find moms Cause they end up inna pine box or locked behind bars Beef ain't the Summer Jam for Hot 97 Beef is the cocaine and AIDS epidemic Beef don't come with a radio edit Beef is when the judge is callin' you "defendant" Beef, it comes with a long jail sentence Handed down to you in a few short minutes Beef is when your girl come through for a visit Talkin' bout "I'm pregnant by some other nigga" Beef is high blood pressure and bad credit Need a loan for your home and you're too broke to get it And all your little kids is doin' is gettin' bigger You tryin' not to raise 'em around these wild niggas Beef is when a gold digger got ya seat and a A manicured hand out like "pay me nigga" Or I'm tellin' your wife Or startin' up some foul rumor that'll ruin your life Beef is when a gangster ain't doin' it right Another gangster then decided what to do with his life Beef is not what these famous niggas do on the mic Beef is what George Bush would do in a fight Yeah, beef is not what Ja said to 50 Beef is more than Irv not bein' here with me When a soldier ends his life with his own gun Beef is tryin' to figure out what to tell his son Beef is oil prices and geopolitics Beef is Iraq, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip Some beef is big and some beef is small But what y'all call beef is not beef at all Beef is real life happenin' everyday And it's realer than them songs that you get at Kay Slay This has been a Black Star P-S-A From Mos Def, Pretty Flocko, black Dante And the Black Star embassy, B to the K
