Talib Kweli

[fox69]

"Lord Of The Light"

"Lord Of The Light"


[Intro:]
They're sellswords.

We're willing to use blood magic to put you on the throne, but we're not willing to pay men to fight?
I've never heard of visions and prophecies winning a war. Soldiers win wars.
Soldiers on the ground. It's dirty on the ground.

[Verse 1:]
The night is dark and it's full of terrors
Where your heart, nigga, where your courage?
I was buildin' with the older guy, he said you act like you know it all
All praise to one true God
How you know if you alive if you don't got a few scars?
These cowards in power enforcin' these new laws
No respect for the poor people fightin' they wars
When I pull out my sword, put away lemon cake cutters
Keep my blade covered with the blood of the fakes
So just take daughters and they kill fathers and they rape mothers
They just make lovers out of their brothers for the great other
And it's dirty on the ground
Half of Flea Bottom never balls to the brown
Say it's all for the gold when the poachers come around
You can smell the dead way before the vultures come around
Soldiers comin' back after the battle
Still gotta face the fear of the unknown
Daughters and they sons grown
Then they gotta explain why they been gone
Took a man from his family just to get home

[Hook:]
Lord of light to ya'll
Lord of the light
Lord of light to ya'll
Lord of the light
Let's go, let's

[Verse 2:]
Shadows are created by the light
So that's when we fight for our freedom
That's the battle for our lives
We stickin' out our tongue, we never fight
This why the arguments of the day is the violence of the night
Respect and fear ain't the same so they get it confused
See the vision when you're starin' in the flame
In this game of thrones, when you win you still lose
Cause your evil get a say when they cheerin' your name
And they preyin' on your weakness
Cause they playin for keepers
And they slayin' all your leaders
Now your people face disease and famine
And fuck the king cause we famished
That's why the brothers that I roll with don't be waving no banners
Warriors for the cause and we raisin' a family
And when it's time to exact revenge
Have a son, come back from the dead
Look to the light yo
The protector of the realm and the citadel
Living in squalor while the rich people livin' well
I'm seein' they enjoying they seven Heavens
Almost like they forgot about the seven Hells

[Hook]

 

[fox69]

"Lover's Peak"

"Lover's Peak"


[Intro]
That's all I wanna do, baby
I mean really
I mean, I go out there, I work my whole life, baby
I put it down for you
I put it down for our kids
See, as a man I ain't got no excuse, baby
I'm the voice of the struggle
All I wanna do is write love songs about you

[Verse]
Love is a drug
Love is the gift, love is the curse, love is the buzz
Love is the hunger, love is the thirst, love is the best
Love is the worst, love is perverse, love is to cure
Love is a freak, love is demure, love is a tease
Your love is certain, my love is pure, my love is deep
Love is a whore under the sheets, lover's peak
Love is so strong, love is weak, lover's peak
Love is so strong, take a hit, love is a drug
Love is the gift, love the curse, love is the buzz
Love is the hunger, love is the thirst, love is the best
Love is the worst, love is perverse, love is to cure
Love is a freak, love is demure, love is a tease
Your love is certain, my love is pure, my love is deep
Love is a whore under the sheets, lover's peak
Love is so strong, love is weak, lover's peak
Never so strong, love is reap
When you saying love me it doesn't matter

[Outro]
See, babe, I got so much love to give
I don't got an ounce, I don't got grams
I got kilo's of love
Kilo, kilo, kilo, kilo's of love

 

[fox69]

"Make It Classy"

"Make It Classy"


[Hook:]
Make it classy, make it classy
Pick yourself up off the floor and make it classy
Make it classy, make it classy
You now rocking with the best, I make it nasty

[Verse:]
Way too dirty to be washed up
You need a spotter, get your bars up
I know you famous, I will run up on a star, what!
Fronting on me the quickest way to get starstruck
Half of y'all hating on me, half of y'all waiting on me
I make money, money don't make me
You chase money while I make money chase me
Stick to the bottom line like the bass, bass, bass
Get your face girl, why you after that dude?
No, ain't nobody that cute
You got a face for radio
Look around, you gotta face the ratio
Don't let these Brooklyn niggas cold reach ya
What they keeping in the creases of exclusive 'Lo pieces
Got it bouncing like (fat titty[?])
Try to rap with me, it's a wrap city
Rap city, bitch, rap rap city bitch
Dejour, Joe Clair, Big Tigger shit
Throw your money in the air if you nigga rich
Stop that stupid ass shit, you kids getting big
Studio at the crib got a nigga rigged
Weed loud, rude, inconsiderate
On the Bradley Cooper, I'm limitless
Faster than a state trooper, I get it in
Four dudes, one bottle, that'll never win
Fly girls at the rope, homie let 'em in
Shorty make 'em pitch a tent like a [?]
All in the conversation, meddling
That's when the wondering eyes start settling
Savage, savage, ooh gentlemen
Word to God, got a look so devilish
This a fourth quarter shot and I never miss
Swish, nothing, but, net
Swish, nothing, but, net
Swish, nothing, but, net
Swish, nothing, but, net
Half of y'all hating on me, half of y'all waiting on me
I make money, money don't make me
You chase money while I make money chase me
Stick to the bottom line like the bass, bass, bass...

 

[fox69]

"Money Good"

"Money Good"


It's not so much a business where you make a lot of money but if you enjoy the business then the money comes. But if you're looking for the fast, instant kind of famous and money it's going to be boring to you because it doesn't happen quite like that

{Yeah, yeah... [?]}

[Verse 1:]
When the money come it's sweet as a honeybun
But when the money gone they hide like a honeycomb
They tell you get your education
Nigga, go to college
They colonizing your mind like Rhodesia
What you, a Rhodes scholar?
They never tell you that degree is just a receipt
You be paying off them loans til you're 6 feet deep
Peep
In my environment every snitch gon' have to die
You ask me why
Cause my entitlement is American as apple pie
It's hard to get a check, it's easy to get in debt
Then get it wet
You could get a little head for a little bread
That shit is dead
Get by, get over
You gotta get ahead or be back in the shelter by 12 so you can get a bed
The conditions you raised in is preyin on your decision-making
You concentrating on that short paper
The broad paper, that hard candy, that jaw breaker
The dark side of the force pay for that Lord Vader

[Chorus:]
How you tell a nigga from the hood?
We on the Dirty, Sexy Money like Blair Underwood
My money good [x4]

Can't touch it
It's only human to want to look
Money talk
My shit be tellin everyone to shhh
My money good [x4]

[Verse 2:]
The millionaire musician a fairly recent phenomenon
Before there was [?] musicians performing on the street corners
Out in the deep forest
The city drop the beat, the night air sing a sweet chorus
The trees lean toward us in order to take in the CO2 that we let out and convert it into oxygen
Every time you blow a breath out you start the cycle again
Recycle the wind, spin it any way you want it
It's priceless, this life is a blessing
No matter how you slice it or dice it, you can grill it like a swordfish
A beautiful mind, the bars gorgeous
I know I'm a suspect
When I'm walking and the streets is like my office
We the working class artists
They wishin that we was porpoise
But I know my worth
Tell em to make an offer of gold first
I'm in the fight of my life and I'm taking the whole purse
Soul search
For getting paid for creating the cold verse
Got the money on my mind
Tryna escape and it don't work
Church

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"More Or Less"
(feat. Dion)

"More Or Less"
(feat. Dion)



Y'all hear that
Whats that sound
Ya know ya want it
I'ma tell um what we need

[First Verse]
More franchisin
Less sanitizin
More uprisin
Less down sizin
More enterprisin
Less sympathizin
More buildin
Less destroyin
More jobs
Less unemployment
Lets skip the devil
Less enjoyment
More originality
Less bitin off Pac 'n' Big
More community activism
Less gigs
More Blacksmith
Def Jux
Less Geffen then the rest
Cause the west suck
They got this shit all messed up
More marijuana
Less coke
More accountablity for politicians
Before we shoutin
Let's vote!
More schools
Less prisons
More freestyle
Less written
More serious shit
Less kiddin
More history
Less mystery
More Beyonce
Less Britney
More happiness
Less misery
More victory
Less losses
More workers
We all bosses
Of course its
Reflections

[Chorus-Dion]
[Talib in back-Tellum what we need]
More love
Less hate
More real
Less fake
More
Less
Less stunin
More fame
Less talkin
More change
Less wishin
More vision

[Second Verse]
God bless the hood
Where my money always good
I can get you taken now
Dont think I couldn't when I could
Son I live above the rim
Crack is hope
Niggas wishin
Y'all wish a nigga crack a joke
Like he wanna battle for the mic
This is Brooklyn, the planet
And y'all niggas is just satellites
Revolvin round my every word
I adress the crowd like
Lincoln at Gettysburg
Surrounded by the heavy herb
The crowd is more or less wall to wall here
For the pure
Hip-hop thats how I'm rockin
Got them droppin they jaw
Fire marshall blockin the door
This the shit the cops stoppin us for
This the "Reign of the Tec" and the motherfuckin Beatnuts
Slice like a nip-tuck
Specalizin in deep cuts
This the music that you ridin to
Provided by Talib and Hi-Tek
The livest two

[Chorus-Dion]

[Third Verse]
The more I put into it
The less it sound like the nonsense
The more natural
The less concious
At the same time the more bomb shit
The less the devil got a grip
I'm gettin loose
We gatta slip away
The ghetto gatta git
More for a dollar
More fresh goods for purchase
Less liquor stores
Less churches lookin like they corner stores
More rap songs to stress purpose with
Less misogyn and less curses
Lets put more depth in our verses
Till they left on the surface
While we stomp through the underground
The cops dont come around
You sorta hoppin for that reflection
You sorta open
I heed the call of the chosen
I dont play with your emotions
Stop actin so god damn emotional
I give you these bars for free like it's promotional

[Beat Drops]
This aint no marketin strategey
It had to be from the heart in order to be reality
Reflections

[Chorus-Dion]

 

[fox69]

"Mr. International"
(feat. Nigel Hall)

"Mr. International"
(feat. Nigel Hall)



Hey how you doing
We all gonna be like a bunch of little Fonzi's
What's Fonz he's cool

Meet Mr. International on the runway more than a fashion show, you know
It's all I love like McEnroe but sorry I have to go
One more time yo
Meet Mr. International on the runway more than a fashion show, you know
It's all I love like McEnroe but sorry I have to go

[Nigel Hall:]
I've been so many places in my life and time
And I know this for sure I'm a life that's worth living
I've seen a lot of faces made a lot of moves
I'm international cause of you
I've been so many places in my life and time
And I know this for sure I'm a life that's worth living
I've seen a lot of faces made a lot of moves
I'm international cause of you

Yo let me introduce you to the Blacksmith crew we making money
Go to sleep with a dream and we waking up hungry
Its a new day stomach is rumbling oh well
I'm like Lloyd Banks stumbling outta the hotel
Overseas show I'm catching the last flight
Really need to go I'm hangover from last night
Out with Gina and Mila [?] we get silly
Had a ball bout to call a cab like Wet Willie's
When I'm in commuter traffic I'm never worried or panic
First class travel I'm flying Virgin Atlantic
I'm already checked in I'm ready to settle in
Going places I've never been I get my Rosetta in
Racking up the sky miles and getting them upgrades
And you hate the only place that you visit is upstate
Don't be mad cause I'm writing this rhyme on my iPad
Don't be sad cause tomorrow I'm catching the flight back

[Nigel Hall:]
I've been so many places in my life and time
And I know this for sure I'm a life that's worth living
I've seen a lot of faces made a lot of moves
I'm international cause of you

I'm a traveling man moving through places space and time
Thinking life hard working at your 9 to 5
No matter what you do you can't imitate my grind
24/7 love ain't that rough
When your career is you're passion no that ain't enough
So when you hear me rapping its like I'm making love
Banging your eardrum slinging that good ugh
Taking over the planet you follow my footprints now you rolling with the greatest
I'm getting to know the neighbors I'm tasting the local flavors
Chicks from the ghetto were richer than portobello
My life is like a movie a novel by Paulo Coelho
Or the Steely Dan song about a bottle of Cuevo
Colombian Gold take a hit for the road
Its given me a vision like I was licking a toad
Consider me so blessed like mama making a cake
And the kids licking the bowl

[Nigel Hall:]
I've been so many places in my life and time
And I know this for sure I'm a life that's worth living
I've seen a lot of faces made a lot of moves
I'm international cause of you
I've been so many places in my life and time
And I know this for sure I'm a life that's worth living
I've seen a lot of faces made a lot of moves
I'm international cause of you

[Adlibs out]

 

[fox69]

"Ms. Hill"

"Ms. Hill"


Every night, slips away [phone ringing]
in other words, (yo, who's this?) I should say
there are no words, (y'all heard it) you should say
there are no words, (I mean it's life)
every night, slips away (I mean, what can I say? it's best)
in other words, I should say
there are no words, you should say
there are no words

Ms. Hill, you got skills, that's a gift, it's real
get ill, what you spit got the power to uplift the heel
I wish I could talk to Lauryn
I mean excuse me, Ms. Hill
and let her know how much we love her is real
the industry was beating her up
then those demons started eating her up
she need a savior that'll bleed in a cup, yup
we used to kick it in the salad days
when she look at me like she ain't know me when she see me nowadays
I nod, she nod back, that's how it stay
her songs still better than anything out there
hotter power play
remember how they accused her of saying
she did her album without help
then she went to Rome to sing
and tell the Pope about herself
just after she left the Fugees
started rolling with the Marleys
got back with her crew at Dave Chapelle's Block Party
she made songs about Zion
and trying to be faithful
took the Blackstar on tour in Europe
I was so grateful
speaking for myself but I'm sure I could speak for Dante
I got to watch a show with Nina Simone and Harry Belafonte
we used to chill at Nkiru, her moms was a customer
she used to love to buy the books by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Sower, the main character's name was Lauren
what the album did for black girls' souls was so important
I got concerned when she got sick on the road
she ain't heavy, I'm a brother
and I wish that I could pick up the load, but no

every night, slips away
in other words, I should say
there are no words, you should say
there are no words
another night slips away
in other words, I should say
there are no words, you should say
there are no words
Ms. Hill, you got skills, that's a gift, it's real
get ill, what you spit got the power to uplift the heel

got your assitant on the the phone
"I need to talk to Lauryn"
and I wanna walk through the storm, and I could be the umbrella
when the rain is pouring
please, this no disrespect to whoever your man is though
this relationship is strictly music like D'angelo
I know you hate Babylon, and wanna see it fall
but they won't let you read your poem at the BET awards
you give us hope, you give us faith, you the one
they don't like what you got to say
but still they beg you to come, whoa
now that's powerful sis, it's black power
we get money, keep our eyes on the final hour
and no I ain't saying you Christ, that would be sacriligous right?
but you can blow up the night, sisters the rats is vicious
the raps the sisters recite with their black fist up
the devil's last wish is a queen that rise past bitches
we used to read Francis Crest or anything
by Third World Press will press
but what the power of the word suggest
hatched ideas in our heads like birds in the nest
you gave birth to a new sound like Don did West, yes
should I be saying all of this while the mic is on?
I might as well let it out because one day I might be gone
I write this song and hope you feel how much we love you
and you play it, cause I really ain't got the words to say it
but yo

every night, slips away
in other words, I should say
there are no words, you should say
there are no words
another night slips away
in other words, I should say
there are no words, you should say
there are no words
Ms. Hill, you got skills, that's a gift, it's real
get ill, what you spit got the power to uplift the heel

 

[fox69]

"Never Been In Love"

"Never Been In Love"


[Verse One]
I know there's a first time for everything
First time I let her in my bed she got wetter then the perfect storm
That we weathering together and
This the first time that I've ever considered wedding rings
But first things first yo
I met her at the bar rolling with three wise men like I followed the star
There she is shorty bi coastal
Thick like bifocals, stacked like 2Pac vocals her body so loco
Jewel of the Nile so I'm romancing the stone
The rhythm is to the words and I watched her dance to my poems
The way she move them hips let me know in advance that she grown
I pictured it like Paris Hilton when she answered the phone, yo
Dancing alone because she extra fly
But I got good look so I catch her eye
Gave the rest a try now give the best a try
Leave your nest and I'll fly make you testify
Damn baby I know we got some haters and.

[Hook]
I don't care what people say
As long as you and me okay
Because I never been in love before
See I use to be a player and
All of this is new to me
And this ain't what I'm used to see
Because I never been in love before

[Verse 2]
You running back to the kid like this was home base
Or a marathon I let you set your own pace
Your own space and the beautiful struggle
Now baby tell what's it gonna take to prove that I love you
When I'm gone you be missing me too
It let me know that my prayers is the music God be listening to
Don't get it confused I'm trying to get religious with you
I never thought I feel like this its like a miracle you
You You stole my heart like a crook in love
Crossing the bridge to the Brooklyn love
When I took above it's clear skies that's surrounding my earth
Your love is drugs and I'm down to serve let's deal with it yo
We go to the spot and you still get it low
I get excited fast and still love to hit it slow
till the walls come tumbling down like Jericho
And you hear the sound is stereo
Hear we go

[Hook]
I don't care what people say
As long as you and me okay
Because I never been in love before
See I use to be a player and
All of this is new to me
And this ain't what I'm used to see
Because I never been in love before

[Verse Three]
You looked good when I tried you on
So I had to write a song
Use to be the guy that always made her cry when I'm gone
Always kept a stable and I never spent a night alone
no cable or no hard line phone why
I'm never home scared of commitment
Ready to forever roam
We at war like sister souljah and she welcome to my terror dome
Head strong our connection proved them haters dead wrong
From now to R.I.P. Proceeds my name up on the headstone
Leave her be for five minutes
Dudes try to dive in it first
They want to spit on my name and tarnish my image
I tell them do you I don't care who she speaking with
Because I already know she made it clear who she leaving with
And it feels so beautiful
Put it in a rhyme because it feel so musical
Plus you ain't no groupie hoe
Sitting in the studio
Before we do this though there something that you should know

[Hook]
I don't care what people say
As long as you and me okay
Because I never been in love before
See I use to be a player and
All of this is new to me
And this ain't what I'm used to see
Because I never been in love before

 

[fox69]

"New Leaders"
(feat. The Underachievers)

"New Leaders"
(feat. The Underachievers)



[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]
Welcome to the new age, where they're thirsty for that Kool-Aid
Thirsty for the first on that page, really thirsty just to be fake
Be the first to hate what you say, tryin to diss you callin you "gay"
Such an urgent need to express yourself but really nothin to say
Don't fuck with us, we too tough, get high like you do drugs
Like spit me out, I'm chewed up - my life's chopped and screwed up
I know you up in this club, I know you don't give a fuck
You told me what you don't like, you made that clear, now what do you love?
There's gotta be more, some live the life of the rich, some people gotta be poor
I've been through it all, I will not sell you a dream, that's what the lottery for
The music is clay, I shaped it, I molded it, like it was pottery or
the mouth with the law, twist it like Robert Duvall, son, the godfather raw
Free as the diamond you found on the floor, I furnished the rhyme with the proper decor
I burnished the nine in my mind with the gloss so the burner will shine when I'm poppin it off
To top it all off your style is married to substance, you sound like it got a divorce
That's why I block and unfollowin y'all, I done forgot what I'm followin for
Enough about y'all now back to me, ain't no academic leave, I'm not faculty
These new slaves ain't ready for my masterpiece, so when they hear me rap it's catastrophe
Cause a casualty is so casually, they mistake what I do for havin beef
I don't actually, wish anybody harm, now stretch your arms and clap for me

[Hook: Talib Kweli x2]
Wake up cause no you're not dreaming
Catch up with us cause we leaving
Got enough followers
I'm looking for some new leaders
I'm looking for some new leaders
I'm looking for some new leaders
Got enough followers
I'm looking for some new leaders

[Verse 2: AK]
Ever since the day I was born, that marks the day I was chosen
To rise above them all and be a leader, I'm like Malcolm X when on the podium
Martin Luther with a dream, Rosa Parks on the bus
Though as funny as it seems it remind me of us
Through the money and the fame ain't shit gon' change for the light we adjust
Do it for the children without a ceiling to live up under
Times getting hard, that's why my niggas smoke that tropic thunder
If all our people spreaded love instead of evil
We would prosper our conscious to a level with no equal lethal
Stay true, I gave you my oath
What would the ancient God my nigga Thoth
Through all the books and the screens I was taught
I look at myself and pretend to learn the most
Our leaders dead and gone, what's left for the believers?
If you looking for the truth, one word: Underachievers, nigga

[Hook x2]

[Verse 3: Issa Gold]
As I change the so called predestined course of my life
Advance my shit so now I travel at the speed of light
Moving these intricate insecurities out of sight
Moving myself onward from the darkness into the light
I take flight, it's goodbye to all the negativity
That plague millions of young innocent souls like me
Gave me the genius mind state necessary
To feast off of this unlimited figurative tree
Of life, I tried to tell these niggas that our purpose is to move it
Something like Darwin's beliefs of humans in evolutions
As I fall asleep on these social forms of materialism
I wake up and go through more colors than your normal prism
Would you rest my soul, I'm blinding me to a blurry of visions
In light of me on what to cut with such gifted precision
And now I'm truly livin' (bless up, bless up)
And now I'm truly livin' (bless up, bless up)

[Hook x2]

 

[fox69]

"Numerology"

"Numerology"


[Intro:]
Yea, man, this that old Electric Company, man
Ay, Attack the Block, count it down
Talib Kweli, Z-Trip
This a prelude to P.O.C
Attack the Block, Attack the Block
Attack the Block, Attack the Block

[Hook:]
Better strap your boots up, time is running low low
Clock's running down, gotta run, gotta go go
Bet it ain't safe here, only getting worse now
Fighting for survival, only way we know how
Backs to the wall, so we looking to the sky
{But the sky saying nothing, we failed but tried}
We stand and we breathe and we push and we go
And we run, run, run 'til we can't no more

Yea, the final countdown
The countdown to Armageddon
Chuck got it right
He got it right, y'all

[Verse 1:]
Eleven pipers piping, they lying just like the reverend
Seven represent the divine, the devil triple six
Five is the stigmata, according to Big Poppa
Never trust nobody, commandment number three
And players only love you when they playing, word to Stevie Nicks
Yea and numbers never lie, they simply plead the fifth
No I'm not quite on the edge but I can see the cliff
And niggas out here snitch for a dire slice and some pita chips
Now they reading the script, niggas get beat up quick
Stomped out, shipped, probably why we call our sneakers kicks
Industry niggas is tweaking because they need a hit
Reading from the Anarchist Cookbook because we need a [?]
Confusing God with the rules you obey
We came to win, no it's never no game, we don't play
Yea I'm so sick of rappers that spoil your whole day
You a boss, no you softer than oil of Olay, hey!

[Hook]

Break it, break it, break it, break it

[Verse 2:]
Eleven [?] knowledge you never learned in college
Seven is the number that God is equality, six
Five is power of famine
Wisdom lead to understanding that's th-th-th-th-th-three-three
Final hour, the devil will cower behind the towers
I got a cavity 'cause the victory sweet, the defeat sour
This coward will stop at nothing if clutching on to his power
He can feel it slipping away down the drain like he in the shower
Think he the shit 'cause he pocket the key to the master lock
Attack the block, he like a wolf in sheep's clothing, attack the flock
It's that Talib Kweli man, God MC in red like a stop sign
2012 ended your world but not mine

[Outro]