Respiration

<br>"What`d you do last night?"<br> "We did umm, two whole cars<br> It was me, Dez, and Main Three right?<br> And on the first car in small letters it said<br> `All you see is..` and then you know<br> big, big, you know some block silver letters<br> that said `..crime in the city` right?"<br>"It just took up the whole car?"<br> "Yeah yeah, it was a whole car and shit..."<br><br>[spanish speaking woman] Escuchela.. la ciudad respirando<br>(translation of spanish: Listen to it.. the city breathing)<br><br>* woman repeats 3X *<br><br>[spanish speaking woman] Escuchela..<br><br>[Mos Def]<br>The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis<br>Shinin, like who on top of this?<br>People was tusslin, arguin and bustlin<br>Gangstaz of Gotham hardcore hustlin<br>I`m wrestlin with words and ideas<br>My ears is picky, seekin what will transmit<br>the scribes can apply to transcript, yo<br>This ain`t no time where the usual is suitable<br>Tonight alive, let`s describe the inscrutable<br>The indisputable, we New York the narcotic<br>Strength in metal and fiber optics<br>where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips<br>for profits, thirsty criminals take pockets<br>Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin class watches<br>Skyscrapers is collosus, the cost of living<br>is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options<br>No Batman and Robin, can`t tell between<br>the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless<br>With no conscience, back streets stay darkened<br>Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened<br>My eagle talons STAY sharpened, like city lights stay throbbin<br>You either make a way or stay sobbin, the Shiny Apple<br>is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat<br>You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat<br>Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down<br>Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages<br>My narrative, rose to explain this existance<br>Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance<br><br>So much on my mind that I can`t recline<br>Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine<br>Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine<br>Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline<br>Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call<br>I can`t take it y`all, I can feel the city breathin<br>Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening<br>Sigh before we die like the last train leaving<br><br>[Talib Kweli]<br>Breathin in deep city breaths, sittin on shitty steps<br>we stoop to new lows, hell froze the night the city slept<br>The beast crept through concrete jungles<br>communicatin with one another<br>And ghetto birds where waters fall<br>from the hydrants to the gutters<br>The beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin<br>You on the wrong side of the track, lookin visibly shaken<br>Taken them plungers, plungin to death that`s painted by the numbers<br>with crime unapplied pressure, cats is playin God<br>but havin children by a lesser baby mother but fuck it<br>we played against each other like puppets, swearin you got pull<br>when the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes<br>Gettin knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise<br>Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog<br>is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene<br>Thoughts that people put in the air<br>Places where you could get murdered over a glare<br>But everything is fair<br>It`s a paradox we call reality<br>So keepin it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality<br>Killers Born Naturally like, Mickey and Mallory<br>Not knowing the ways`ll get you capped like an NBA salary<br>Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing<br>Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin what you believe in<br>For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted<br>I`m asking if y`all feel me AND THE CROWD LEFT ME STRANDED<br>My blood pressure boiled and rose, cause New York niggaz<br>actin spoiled at shows, to the winners the spoils go<br>I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates<br>New York life type trife the Roman Empire state<br><br>[Mos Def and crew]<br>So much on my mind I just can`t recline<br>Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine<br>Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine<br>Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline<br>Yo don`t the bass ride out like an ancient mating call<br>I can`t take it y`all, I can feel the city breathin<br>Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening<br>Sigh before we die like the last train leaving<br><br>[spanish speaking woman] Escuchela.. respirando ??<br><br>[Common]<br>Yo...on The Amen, Corner I stood lookin at my former hood<br>Felt the spirit in the wind, knew my friend was gone for good<br>Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn`t mask it<br>Mixin down emotions, struggle I hadn`t mastered<br>I coreograph seven steps to heaven<br>And hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leavened<br>Veteran of a cold war It`s Chica-I-go for<br>What I know or, what`s known<br>So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home<br>From the crib I spend months gone<br>Sat by the window with a clutched dome listenin to shorties cuss long<br>Young girls with weak minds, but they butt strong<br>Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord, but didn`t have a touch-tone<br>It`s a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on<br>Some of this land I must own<br>Outta the city, they want us gone<br>Tearin down the `jects creatin plush homes<br>My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones<br>Surrounded by hate, yet I love home<br>Ask my God how he thought travellin the world sound<br>Found it hard to imagine he hadn`t been past downtown<br>It`s deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep<br>Of reality I touch, but for me it`s hard to keep<br>Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep<br>Of reality I touch, but for me it`s hard to keep<br><br>[Mos Def and crew]<br>So much on my mind I just can`t recline<br>Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine<br>Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine<br>Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline<br>Yo how the bass ride out like an ancient mating call<br>I can`t take it y`all, I can feel the city breathing<br>Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening<br>Kiss the Ide`s goodbye, I`m on the last train leaving