Released: October 9, 2007
Featuring: Memphis Bleek Jean Grae Yasiin Bey
Songwriter: Memphis Bleek Jean Grae Yasiin Bey
Producer: 9th Wonder
Brooklyn!
[Verse 1: Mos Def]
Ready, ready for action
Intimate swift like a cash transaction
Speaker blow out from row house to the mansion
This ghetto sound crowd right arousal of passion
They don't know the language, but shouting the anthem
The beat translated make the world understand some
My voice like magic, my flow fantastic
In summary I'm rare, ordinary, elaborate
Now check the profile this is lyrically handsome
Resemble my pay scale, slim nigga ain't frail
And I ain't in the gym on some Ebony man shit
I'm in the laboratory bench pressing the standard
It's your hand, I'm raising the bar
Right home in the ?, Get closer to God, stay focused and sharp
High stake and there's way more than paper involved
You must evolve or die, that ain't falsified
Home team I know you keep trouble on your mind
But don't let bullshit knock you off your grind
That's real talk for all of mine
And for all of yours
Rocksteady keep about your cause
Low-key, cool breeze, and I'm about my balls
It's tap-tap, knock down your door
Tap-tap and break down the wall
Collect and count it all
And like bang in the air I'm gone
Yes I'm riding on, keep cool, you can ride along
But keep it up, you won't ride for long
That's word to bond, show me where you are
BK we the brightest star, let's get involved
[Hook]
[Verse 2: Jean Grae]
This is history twice, first girl on a Crooklyn series
Spent ninth
First one, just clearly Brooklyn in the mind
Not Brooklyn I was born, but in Brooklyn I was formed
Not Brooklyn I was raised, but Brooklyn I was taught to form a young woman
Dawn on my first love, first love is back
Thirst to rap at 307 Clinton, nurse that
First crib out of Manhattan
Young, broke, man
Back in the days the G train jam packing
On the stoop year round forty in hand
Kum Kau Chicken and Broc on Myrtle Ave
Say word to Brooklyn, act words so that Brooklyn's back
Like the track's fixed on the L train on the weekday
Black bent on the metrocard that's how we pay
? spilling it backwards like my man D first spilt in the bathroom
Man Brooklyn gave me confidence
Fulton Brooklyn boys with them with them compliments
When my mind slipped Brooklyn gave me consciousness
Accomplice Clinton Hill's Bushwick
So I still just
Walk the BK swag and rep two boroughs
Say she's so bad buts been too thorough
Neck tatted and sweat blood for NY
Medina, Mecca, niggas heads high
Brooklyn stand up, come on
[Hook]
[Verse 3: Memphis Bleek]
What we be doing the most
It's diverse you now rocking with Memph, Jean and Mos
And this verse it ain't where you from it's where you at
The body off to travel, the mind ahead of that
That's why I'm both albums deep none of which been printed
Cause I ain't got a script what, a nigga really living
Cause I ain't on the fabricating or imagine
Brooklyn ain't a dream, them boys really be clapping
So I'll never greet you with peace, cause they'll never be peace
I tell you stay down to stay off the street
Bed-Stuy, what's up, Crown Heights, what's up
Flatbush, Brownsville, what's up
It's all love where I come from, the keep it real shit
I used to cut school on the block Big come from
But in the stu, try to come with flow
At 15, I spit something that impress Hov and here I go
[Verse 1: Mos Def]
Ready, ready for action
Intimate swift like a cash transaction
Speaker blow out from row house to the mansion
This ghetto sound crowd right arousal of passion
They don't know the language, but shouting the anthem
The beat translated make the world understand some
My voice like magic, my flow fantastic
In summary I'm rare, ordinary, elaborate
Now check the profile this is lyrically handsome
Resemble my pay scale, slim nigga ain't frail
And I ain't in the gym on some Ebony man shit
I'm in the laboratory bench pressing the standard
It's your hand, I'm raising the bar
Right home in the ?, Get closer to God, stay focused and sharp
High stake and there's way more than paper involved
You must evolve or die, that ain't falsified
Home team I know you keep trouble on your mind
But don't let bullshit knock you off your grind
That's real talk for all of mine
And for all of yours
Rocksteady keep about your cause
Low-key, cool breeze, and I'm about my balls
It's tap-tap, knock down your door
Tap-tap and break down the wall
Collect and count it all
And like bang in the air I'm gone
Yes I'm riding on, keep cool, you can ride along
But keep it up, you won't ride for long
That's word to bond, show me where you are
BK we the brightest star, let's get involved
[Hook]
[Verse 2: Jean Grae]
This is history twice, first girl on a Crooklyn series
Spent ninth
First one, just clearly Brooklyn in the mind
Not Brooklyn I was born, but in Brooklyn I was formed
Not Brooklyn I was raised, but Brooklyn I was taught to form a young woman
Dawn on my first love, first love is back
Thirst to rap at 307 Clinton, nurse that
First crib out of Manhattan
Young, broke, man
Back in the days the G train jam packing
On the stoop year round forty in hand
Kum Kau Chicken and Broc on Myrtle Ave
Say word to Brooklyn, act words so that Brooklyn's back
Like the track's fixed on the L train on the weekday
Black bent on the metrocard that's how we pay
? spilling it backwards like my man D first spilt in the bathroom
Man Brooklyn gave me confidence
Fulton Brooklyn boys with them with them compliments
When my mind slipped Brooklyn gave me consciousness
Accomplice Clinton Hill's Bushwick
So I still just
Walk the BK swag and rep two boroughs
Say she's so bad buts been too thorough
Neck tatted and sweat blood for NY
Medina, Mecca, niggas heads high
Brooklyn stand up, come on
[Hook]
[Verse 3: Memphis Bleek]
What we be doing the most
It's diverse you now rocking with Memph, Jean and Mos
And this verse it ain't where you from it's where you at
The body off to travel, the mind ahead of that
That's why I'm both albums deep none of which been printed
Cause I ain't got a script what, a nigga really living
Cause I ain't on the fabricating or imagine
Brooklyn ain't a dream, them boys really be clapping
So I'll never greet you with peace, cause they'll never be peace
I tell you stay down to stay off the street
Bed-Stuy, what's up, Crown Heights, what's up
Flatbush, Brownsville, what's up
It's all love where I come from, the keep it real shit
I used to cut school on the block Big come from
But in the stu, try to come with flow
At 15, I spit something that impress Hov and here I go