Black Thought

Released: October 16, 2020

Songwriter: C. S. Armstrong Sean C Black Thought

Producer: Sean C

[Intro: C. S. Armstrong & Black Thought]
I, I came from the bottom up
I know a lot of boys, you stop 'em on that street (Yeah)
Goddamnit! (Ay, ay)
They askin' where you from
My family never had enough
Every time you quittin' (Ayo)
I never had enough
I be like, "I'm from nowhere"
Listen, everything I leave to this world
Still movin' onward, you say you from nowhere now (Uh)
Is for these ghetto boys and girls (Ayo, ayo)
Right now I'm with the young boys

[Verse: Black Thought & C. S. Armstrong]
Ayo, and they convince us to adopt lies 'til the stock rise
While the vultures try and push the culture counter-clockwise
Got us lickin' shots at one another for Popeyes
Niggas rock-climb, try and come out on the top side (Listen)
I mean the top of the food chain, fuck a top five
My fears is fuelin' my mood swings like the Mach Five
What's the reason I just got high? I forgot why
Another day, another Glock fired like we're not tired
Hollow men in the wasteland like T. S. Eliot
Spear stickin' out of the flesh of a fresh elephant
News comin' out in the press and they just relish it
When your hope's shattered in stress, you say, "To hell with it"
This is for my young boars in them gun wars
Out here on their going dumb jawn on the front lawn
Tryna break the long arm of the law, that hunt for 'em
Bettin' lives on the luck of that draw, we want more, nigga

[Outro: C. S. Armstrong & Black Thought]
Everything I leave to this world
Still movin' on aboard, nigga
We not human, we at war, nigga (Ow!)
Is for these ghetto boys and girls
Listen, listen, listen, listen

Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter is the co-founder and MC of the legendary Philadelphia-based hip-hop group The Roots.

Thought is highly renowned in the Hip-Hop community for his socially aware, informed, and character-driven rap style. He is considered by many, a lyrical killer and legend that falls in the same category as Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, members of the Wu-Tang Clan and even Nas.

He also is a member and founder of supergroup Money Making Jam Boys, consisting of Black, and other Roots collaborators Sugar-Tongue-Slim (STS), Greg Porn, Truck North, and Dice Raw. STS can be heard on “Right On” while the other three are widely and largely on Undun.

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