Released: June 25, 2002

Songwriter: Rick Rock Will Smith

Producer: Rick Rock

[Intro]
I believe in God
I believe in destiny
Not destiny in the sense of all of our actions being pre-determined
But destiny in the sense, of our ability to choose
Our ability to choose, who we are and who we're supposed to be

[Verse 1]
Yo, yo, yo, yo, I was born to reign
Point blank my name, to be etched in stone, my destiny pre-ordained
Tryin' to live righteous, fighting for life
This my life, and that's why I go lite on my vices
Tighten the vices of truth, on the ruthless
This rhyme and the crime is they minds is just useless
The path of the poison, the Genesis of the genocide
You and your boys, tryin' to decide
What to write, but your pen is a sword
And the blade has been forged, young minds gettin' gorged
States have been altered, by liquor, by weed
And then hate gets exalted, as art falls to greed
Choices is made, as the voices is laid
On the track, contract, ya souls the wage, sold ya wage
Did you see his new Benz, but your mic a syringe
Now you proud of your binge, gotta lot of new friends, gotta lot of new ends
Bought a house up in the hills fronting shouts to the pen
Giving false accounts, of your accounts amounts
Amounts of fans treason, stands to reason
Since your inception, laced with deception
And bred false affection, it must parish
From my terrace, I see the fire burning the streets
But I won't shield my eyes to the heat

[Outro]
Born to Reign
Oooooooooh
I was Born to Reign
Oooooooooh
I was Born to Reign

Will Smith

Will Smith is a famed actor who has so many iconic movie roles in Hollywood blockbusters under his belt you sometimes forget he’s an accomplished rapper, too.

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo “DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince,” with his childhood friend Jeffrey “DJ Jazzy Jeff” Townes as turntablist and producer. They gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the Rap category (1988).

As a result of spending money carelessly, Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990, when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him.