Released: October 29, 1991
Songwriter: Ice Cube
Producer: Sir Jinx Ice Cube
[Verse 1]
Could you tell me who unleashed our animal instinct?
And the white man sittin' there tickled pink
Laughin' at us on the avenue
Bustin' caps at each other after havin' brew
We can't enjoy ourselves
Too busy jealous... at each other's wealth
Comin' up is just in me
But the Black community is full of envy
Too much back-stabbin'
While I look out the window I see all the Japs grabbin'
Every vacant lot in my neighborhood
Build a store, and sell their goods
To the county recips
You know, us po niggas; nappy hair and big lips?
Four or five babies on your crotch
And you expect Uncle Sam to help us out?
We ain't nothin' but porchmonkeys
To the average bigot, redneck honky
You say comin' up is a must
But before we can come up, take a look at us
[Verse 2]
And all y'all dope-dealers...
You're as bad as the po-lice- cause ya kill us
You got rich when you started slangin' dope
But you ain't built us a supermarket
So when can spend our money with the blacks
Too busy buyin' gold an' Cadillacs
That's what ya doin' with the money that ya raisin'
Exploitin' us like the Caucasians did
For 400 years - I got 400 tears- for 400 peers
Died last year from gang-related crimes
That's why I got gang-related rhymes
But when I do a show ta kick some facts
Us Blacks don't know how ta act
Sometimes I believe the hype, man
We mess it up ourselves and blame the white man
But don't point the finger you jiggaboo
Take a look at yourself ya dumb nigga you
Pretty soon hip-hop won't be so nice
No Ice Cube, just Vanilla Ice
And yall sit and scream and cuss
But there's no one ta blame but us
[Verse 3]
Us...will always sing the blues
Cause all we care about is hairstyles and tennis shoes
And if ya step on mine ya pushed a button
"Cause I'll beat you down like it ain't nothin'"
Just like a beast
But I'm the first nigga ta holler out {PEACE, BLACK MAN}
I beat my wife and children to a pulp
When I get drunk and smoke dope
Got a bad heart condition
Still eat hog-mogs an' chitlin's
Bet my money on the dice and the horses
Jobless, so I'm a ho for the armed forces
Go to church but they tease us
Wit' a picture of a blue-eyed Jesus
They used to call me Negro
After all this time I'm still bustin' up the chiffarobe
No respect and ignored
And I'm havin' more babies than I really can afford
In jail cause I can't pay the mother
Held back in life because of my color
Now this is just a little summary
Of US, but yall think it's dumb of me
To hold a mirror to ya face, but trust
Nobody gives a fuck about...
Could you tell me who unleashed our animal instinct?
And the white man sittin' there tickled pink
Laughin' at us on the avenue
Bustin' caps at each other after havin' brew
We can't enjoy ourselves
Too busy jealous... at each other's wealth
Comin' up is just in me
But the Black community is full of envy
Too much back-stabbin'
While I look out the window I see all the Japs grabbin'
Every vacant lot in my neighborhood
Build a store, and sell their goods
To the county recips
You know, us po niggas; nappy hair and big lips?
Four or five babies on your crotch
And you expect Uncle Sam to help us out?
We ain't nothin' but porchmonkeys
To the average bigot, redneck honky
You say comin' up is a must
But before we can come up, take a look at us
[Verse 2]
And all y'all dope-dealers...
You're as bad as the po-lice- cause ya kill us
You got rich when you started slangin' dope
But you ain't built us a supermarket
So when can spend our money with the blacks
Too busy buyin' gold an' Cadillacs
That's what ya doin' with the money that ya raisin'
Exploitin' us like the Caucasians did
For 400 years - I got 400 tears- for 400 peers
Died last year from gang-related crimes
That's why I got gang-related rhymes
But when I do a show ta kick some facts
Us Blacks don't know how ta act
Sometimes I believe the hype, man
We mess it up ourselves and blame the white man
But don't point the finger you jiggaboo
Take a look at yourself ya dumb nigga you
Pretty soon hip-hop won't be so nice
No Ice Cube, just Vanilla Ice
And yall sit and scream and cuss
But there's no one ta blame but us
[Verse 3]
Us...will always sing the blues
Cause all we care about is hairstyles and tennis shoes
And if ya step on mine ya pushed a button
"Cause I'll beat you down like it ain't nothin'"
Just like a beast
But I'm the first nigga ta holler out {PEACE, BLACK MAN}
I beat my wife and children to a pulp
When I get drunk and smoke dope
Got a bad heart condition
Still eat hog-mogs an' chitlin's
Bet my money on the dice and the horses
Jobless, so I'm a ho for the armed forces
Go to church but they tease us
Wit' a picture of a blue-eyed Jesus
They used to call me Negro
After all this time I'm still bustin' up the chiffarobe
No respect and ignored
And I'm havin' more babies than I really can afford
In jail cause I can't pay the mother
Held back in life because of my color
Now this is just a little summary
Of US, but yall think it's dumb of me
To hold a mirror to ya face, but trust
Nobody gives a fuck about...
more tracks from the album
Death Certificate
- Steady Mobbin’
- True to the Game
- The Wrong Nigga to Fuck Wit
- Color Blind
- Man’s Best Friend
- How to Survive in South Central
- The Funeral
- Robin Lench
- Death
- The Birth
- Us
- My Summer Vacation
- No Vaseline
- Givin’ Up the Nappy Dug Out
- A Bird in the Hand
- Alive On Arrival
- Look Who’s Burnin’
- Horny Lil’ Devil
- Black Korea
- Doing Dumb Shit
- I Wanna Kill Sam
- Death Certificate Album Art
From the albums
- Death Certificate (1991)
- Death Certificate 25th Anniversary (2017)
Ice Cube popular songs
- No Vaseline
- It Was a Good Day
- Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It
- Check Yo Self
- You Know How We Do It
- Hello
- Check Yo Self (Remix)
- The Nigga Ya Love to Hate
- Why We Thugs
- Good Cop Bad Cop
- Arrest The President
- You Can Do It
- Nobody Wants to Die
- Go to Church
- Hood Mentality
- Smoke Some Weed
- Ghetto Vet
- AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
- Friday
- Steady Mobbin’
- Black Korea
- Everythang’s Corrupt
- A Bird in the Hand
- Ghetto Bird