Released: November 21, 2006
Featuring: Ne-Yo
Songwriter: Ne-Yo JAY-Z Dr. Dre Mark Batson
Producer: Dr. Dre
[Intro: excerpts from news reports]
"The damage here along the Gulf coast is catastrophic
There's a frantic effort underway tonight to find survivors
There are an uncounted number of the dead tonight."
"People are being forced to live like animals."
"Please... send stuff here. We are desperate."
"No one says the federal government is doing a good job."
"...and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people ..."
"No water... yeah, and I fought for my country for years."
"We need help. We really need help."
"In Baghdad, they-they drop, they airdrop - water, food to people
Why can't they do that for their own people?"
"...the same idiots can't get a bottle of water into a
Major American city in three days are trying to win a war"
[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
People was poor before the hurricane came
Before the downpour poured, it was like when Mary J. sang
Everyday it rains, so everyday the pain
Went ignored and I'm sure ignorance was to blame
But life is a chain, cause and effected
Niggas off the chain, because they affected
It's a dirty game, it's whatever is effective
From weed to sellin' 'caine, gotta put that in effect, shit
Wouldn't you loot? If you didn't have the loot
Baby needed food and you was stuck on the roof
And helicopters swoop down just to get a scoop
Through his telescopic lens, but he didn't scoop you
And the next five days, no help ensued
They called you a refugee because you seek refuge
And the Commander-in-Chief, just flew by
Didn't stop, I know he had a couple seats
Just rude Jet blue, he's not, jet flew by the spot
What if he ran out of jet fuel and just dropped
Huh, that woulda been somethin' to watch
Helicopters doin' fly-bys to take a couple shots
Couple portraits, then ignored 'em
He’d be just another Bush surrounded by a couple orchids
Poor kids, just 'cause they was poor kids
Left them on they porches, same old story in New Orleans
Silly rappers, cause we got a couple Porsches
MTV stopped by to film our fortresses
We forget the unfortunate
Sure, I ponied up a mil' but I didn't give my time
So in reality I didn't give a dime
Or a damn, I just put my monies in the hands
Of the same people that left my people stranded
Nothin' but a bandit, left them folks abandoned
Damn, that money we gave was just a band-aid
Can't say we better off than we was before
In synopsis, this is my Minority Report
Can't say we better off than we was before
In synopsis, this is my Minority Report
[Verse 2: Ne-Yo]
So many times I'm, coverin' my eyes
Peekin' through my fingers, tryin' to hide my
Frustration, at the way, that we treat
(Seems like we don't even care)
Turn on the TV, seein' the pain
Sayin' such a shame, then tryin' to go on with my life
Of that, I too am guilty
(Seems like we don't even care)
So we send a little money, tell 'em it's alright
To be able to sleep at night
You will pay that price, but some of these folks
Has lost they whole life
(Seems like we don't even care)
And then it wasn't on the nightly news no mo'
Suddenly it didn't matter to you no mo'
It went on and almost nothin' changed
What the hell were they there for?
(Seems like we don't even care)
[Outro - more news excerpts (Ne-Yo)]
Bush: "Buses are on the way to take those
People from New Orleans, to Houston"
(Seems like we don't even care)
"They lie"
"People are dying, at the Convention Center" (ohh)
"Their government has failed them" (ohh)
Kanye West: "George Bush doesn't care about black people"
(Seems like we don't even care)
(Seems like we don't even care)
"The damage here along the Gulf coast is catastrophic
There's a frantic effort underway tonight to find survivors
There are an uncounted number of the dead tonight."
"People are being forced to live like animals."
"Please... send stuff here. We are desperate."
"No one says the federal government is doing a good job."
"...and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people ..."
"No water... yeah, and I fought for my country for years."
"We need help. We really need help."
"In Baghdad, they-they drop, they airdrop - water, food to people
Why can't they do that for their own people?"
"...the same idiots can't get a bottle of water into a
Major American city in three days are trying to win a war"
[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
People was poor before the hurricane came
Before the downpour poured, it was like when Mary J. sang
Everyday it rains, so everyday the pain
Went ignored and I'm sure ignorance was to blame
But life is a chain, cause and effected
Niggas off the chain, because they affected
It's a dirty game, it's whatever is effective
From weed to sellin' 'caine, gotta put that in effect, shit
Wouldn't you loot? If you didn't have the loot
Baby needed food and you was stuck on the roof
And helicopters swoop down just to get a scoop
Through his telescopic lens, but he didn't scoop you
And the next five days, no help ensued
They called you a refugee because you seek refuge
And the Commander-in-Chief, just flew by
Didn't stop, I know he had a couple seats
Just rude Jet blue, he's not, jet flew by the spot
What if he ran out of jet fuel and just dropped
Huh, that woulda been somethin' to watch
Helicopters doin' fly-bys to take a couple shots
Couple portraits, then ignored 'em
He’d be just another Bush surrounded by a couple orchids
Poor kids, just 'cause they was poor kids
Left them on they porches, same old story in New Orleans
Silly rappers, cause we got a couple Porsches
MTV stopped by to film our fortresses
We forget the unfortunate
Sure, I ponied up a mil' but I didn't give my time
So in reality I didn't give a dime
Or a damn, I just put my monies in the hands
Of the same people that left my people stranded
Nothin' but a bandit, left them folks abandoned
Damn, that money we gave was just a band-aid
Can't say we better off than we was before
In synopsis, this is my Minority Report
Can't say we better off than we was before
In synopsis, this is my Minority Report
[Verse 2: Ne-Yo]
So many times I'm, coverin' my eyes
Peekin' through my fingers, tryin' to hide my
Frustration, at the way, that we treat
(Seems like we don't even care)
Turn on the TV, seein' the pain
Sayin' such a shame, then tryin' to go on with my life
Of that, I too am guilty
(Seems like we don't even care)
So we send a little money, tell 'em it's alright
To be able to sleep at night
You will pay that price, but some of these folks
Has lost they whole life
(Seems like we don't even care)
And then it wasn't on the nightly news no mo'
Suddenly it didn't matter to you no mo'
It went on and almost nothin' changed
What the hell were they there for?
(Seems like we don't even care)
[Outro - more news excerpts (Ne-Yo)]
Bush: "Buses are on the way to take those
People from New Orleans, to Houston"
(Seems like we don't even care)
"They lie"
"People are dying, at the Convention Center" (ohh)
"Their government has failed them" (ohh)
Kanye West: "George Bush doesn't care about black people"
(Seems like we don't even care)
(Seems like we don't even care)
more tracks from the album
From the album
- Kingdom Come (2006)
JAY-Z popular songs
- Holy Grail
- Part II (On the Run)
- Empire State of Mind
- The Story of O.J.
- 4:44
- Tom Ford
- FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt
- 99 Problems
- Oceans
- Renegade
- Kill Jay Z
- Picasso Baby
- Takeover
- Family Feud
- Open Letter
- Run This Town
- Public Service Announcement
- Song Cry
- Smile
- Big Pimpin’
- Heaven
- Bam
- Beach Is Better (Interlude)
- ’03 Bonnie & Clyde