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, wishing that they were God
They wanna create satellites and cameras everywhere
And make you think they got the all-seeing 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, wishing
They can't really never do that
When they tell me to fear they law
When they tell me to try to
Have some fret 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 saying to you check it
[Hook]
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
Which is passing and running like a caravan trader
The world is overrun with the wealthy and the wicked
But God is sufficient in disposing 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, holding down my square
(Gotta love Mos Def and his enlightened view of things..."Fear Not of Man" is one of my favorite cuts from Mos Def . The line "mind over matter/soul before flesh" has stuck with me for a long time. The album it was taken from, "Black On Both Sides, is now a Hip Hop classic. On this particular jam, Fear Not of Man, Mos is in pursuit for social truth and it's a monologue that is as powerful as it is entertaining. )
What you know about the running, the stretching
The katas, the weapons
The path, the journey
The jewels, the learning
The fear, the focus
The aches, the pains
The contact sparrin', the breaks, the sprains
The trial and error, the ranks, and belts
The spiritual growth, the science of breath
The tests, the techniques
The forms, the stances
The flow, the rhythm, the internal answers
The herbs, the healing, the quiet meditation
The truths reveal through daily dedication
The love for the art, the sweat on your shirt
The mind, the body, and the spirit that work
The feelings of failure, the hope to succeed
The battles of questions like "Should I smoke weed?"
The water, the thirst
The cleansing, the blessings
The flash of insights, the teachings, the lessons
The grappling and locking, trapping and boxing
The training and slacking
The starting and stopping
And stayin' committed, when your homies ain't with it
The hours or practice after the class is finished
The cause of your ignorance, flaws in your discipline
Broken laws of nutrition, and poor conditionin'
The vitamins and supplements
Salves and ointments
The kingships, pull joints in doctor appointments
The dues, the pads, the wraps, the gloves
The mouthpiece you left home, the taste of your own blood
The hunger, the blocks
The punches, the squats
The crunches, the example you set for the youngsters
The will, the skills, the kill or to heal
The separation between what's fake and what's real
The laws of physics
The class-comraderie
The vows of humility, the bow, the courtesy
(Dead Prez is as relevant today as they were when they came out in 1996. With so many rappers nowadays rappin' about strippers, drugs & hyped-up & combative masculinity, hearing these lyrics is like cool balm to abused ears. Songs like this is what the young should be exposed to as way too many of them are abusing/disrespecting themselves via drugs, alcohol, poor eating habits & porn....I don't mean to come across as some kind of saint or Shaolin master, but some of these kids today really need to take up some type of discipline to keep their energies under control. Great work out cut (check out the video).... )
****************
OneLove
:::MME:::
