The Proud

[Talib Kweli]<br>The proud<br>Stand tall or don`t stand at all, c`mon<br>Uhh, yeah<br>Break it down<br>What we do?<br><br>[Chorus]<br>We survive, it`s more than pride<br>We stay alive, ready to ride<br><br>[Chorus] - repeat through intro<br><br>[Intro: Talib Kweli]<br>One two, one two yo<br>Aight.. put it down yo<br>June 21, 2001<br>Timothy McVeigh is executed<br>And the country breathe a sigh of relief<br>Goodness prevails over evil, it seems<br>Somehow when he`s gone, we feel safer<br>Little do we know<br><br>[Verse One]<br>Today the paper say Timothy McVeigh`s in hell<br>So everything`s okay and all must be well<br>I remember Oklahoma when they put out the blaze<br>And put Islamic terrorist bombing, on the front page<br>It`s like saying only gays get AIDS, propaganda<br>Like saying the problem`s over when they locked that man up<br>Wrong! It`s just the beginning, the first inning<br>Battle for America`s soul, the devil`s winning<br>The President is Bush, the Vice President`s a Dick<br>So a whole lot of fuckin is what we gon` get<br>They don`t wanna raise the babies so the election is fixed<br>That`s why we don`t be fuckin with politics<br>They bet on that, parents fought and got wet for that<br>Hosed down, bit by dogs, and got blacks into house arrest for that<br>It`s all good except for that - we still poor<br>Money, power and respect is what we kill for, for real<br><br>[Chorus] - repeat through interlude<br><br>[Interlude]<br>August 4, 2001<br>A drunken police officer mows down an entire family in Brooklyn<br>The judge lets him go with no bail<br>It reminds us, of just how worthless our lives are to the justice system<br>I struggle, to explain the situation to my son, it`s hard<br><br>[Verse Two]<br>Niggaz with knowledge is more dangerous than than niggaz with guns<br>They make the guns easy to get and try to keep niggaz dumb<br>Target the gangs and graffiti with the Prop 21<br>I already know the deal but what the fuck do I tell my son?<br>I want him livin right, livin good, respect the rules<br>He`s five years old and he still thinkin cops is cool<br>How do I break the news that when he gets some size <br>He`ll be percieved as a threat or see the fear in they eyes<br>It`s in they job description to terminate the threat<br>So 41 shots to the body is what he can expect<br>The precedent is set, don`t matter if he follow the law<br>I know I`ll give my son pride and make him swallow it all (damn!)<br>Fuck the pigs! I think the pigs killed Big and `Pac too<br>If they didn`t they know who did, they got to!<br>Who they serve and protect, nigga not you<br>Cops shot off of ten G`s but they got glocks too<br>Let you protect yourself, or better yet respect yourself<br>Straight into the hospital is where you gotta check yourself<br>They be gettin tips from snitches and rival crews<br>Doin them favors so they workin for the drug dealers too<br>Just business enforcers with hate in they holsters<br>Shoot you in the back, won`t face you like a soldier<br>Kurt Loder asked me what I say to a dead cop`s wife<br>Cops kill my people everyday, that`s life<br><br>[Chorus] - repeat through final interlude<br><br>[Final Interlude]<br>September 11, 2001<br>Terrorists attack the Pentagon and the World Trade Center<br>Kills thousand and permanently scars America`s false sense of security<br>We see the best examples of humanity in the face of the worst<br>As fire fighters, police officers, rescue workers<br>and volunteers of all sorts, fight to save lives<br>The world will never be the same again<br><br>[Verse Three]<br>My heart go out to everybody at Ground Zero<br>Red, black, yellow, white and brown heroes<br>It`s more complicated than black and white<br>To give your own life is the greatest sacrifice<br>But it`s hard for me to walk down the block<br>Seeing rats and roaches, crack viles and 40 ounce posters<br>People broken down from years of oppression<br>Become patriots when they way of life is threatened<br>It`s a hard conversation to have<br>We lost kids, moms and dads, people ready to fight for the flag<br>Damn, when did shit get this bad?<br>America kill the innocent too, the cycle of violence is sad<br>Damn! Welcome to the world, we here<br>We`ve been at, war for years but it`s much more clear (yeah)<br>We got to face what lies ahead<br>Fight for our truth and freedom and, ride for the dead<br><br>[Chorus] - repeat to end