(Verse 1: NowOrNever)
(Take it back)
From the days when the first Africans became slaves
and got carted away in the American trade
there's one word they conveyed, they told them "Nigger, obey!"
Hit 'em with whips, and told 'em "this is how you behave"
so we adapted the name, 'cause it was trained and ingrained
as prominent as a stain, we trace it back through the veins
it's an expression of pain, games, losses and gains
violent history that blissfully gets linked in the chain of events
that's like cement, the foundational plane,
rebel nations and gangs that organized for a change
that brought the party to the block instead of murderous aims
what I'm trying to explain's how hip-hop became
inflamed, untamed and vulgar with street slang
religious folks complained, saying "y'all should be ashamed"
so, is it hip-hop or America to blame?
On a mission, see 'em wishing, trying to stake their claims

(Verse 2: MICjordan)
I think I can tell the moment it happened in retrospect:
the LP NWA made after Ice Cube left
was their highest-charting album ever,
but at the same time somehow severed their ties to clever
reflections on social endeavors, politics, whatever
once captured the essence of California in notes and letters.
I can prove it: look at how they moved over time.
on Straight Outta Compton, when Cube wrote the the rhymes
in every line combined the word "Nigga" is used 46 times;
THAT was called profuse and decried! Efil4zaggin blew minds
but wasn't thought provoking; the beats were tight as fuck,
it was shorter & they said "nigga" four times as much!
So, what's the problem? How's this, for a start:
if one record's entertainment, and the other one's art,
how come the less authentic work hit number one on the charts?
How's it go down like that, and exactly what part
do the artists themselves play? None of us are self-made,
just caught up in something larger than us and propelled away.
What's sad is so few of us use that thrust to elevate,
or even illustrate how we got into this hellish state!

(Verse 3: Poor)
We put our trust in these politicians, without a pot to piss in,
crying and bitching, still relying on the system
truths, they twist 'em, their coverups, we forget 'em,
and their mistakes are forgiven
that's why we're getting nowhere faster than you can spell "Katrina"
the Golden Rule gatekeeper, slave mind ringleaders
got control of your soul with Rock N' Roll,
a universal remote and a customized billfold
the Bohemian Grove is no joke
laugh if you wanna, these daggers don't NEED cloaks
we breathe smoke from the evil aviation,
the population's devastation is what we're facing
(but what?) But you don't hear me though
since you can't really say what's real on the radio
if this song was called "Ho, you're my bitch"
and edited a little bit, it would be the shit!
Obama ain't nothin' but a president
P came to represent and hold it down like laminates
fuck the whole cabinet and future candidates
cops killing kids handcuffed is so scandalous
hip-hop nowadays is on some Hanson shit,
like "oh no, not another track about the government!"
Bitch, go to a rave if you're afraid
I'm from Tribe of Levi, TPR, plus The Cave!