See, this is America, home of the greedy
They told me it's okay to lie if you lie on the TV
These business men put their ads all over the city
When city kids cast they tags they call it graffiti
Send em to jail for it
They tryna tell us self-expression is wrong
But my nigga, I never fell for it
They try to tell me
"You don't believe in our God, you go to Hell for it."
I never fell for it
See, my belief is my first right
And in a second, I'd jump on the third rail for it
You got yours and you know I wish you well for it
I ain't tryna fuck up your head
I'm just tryin to hit the nail on it
See, for me, the knowledge come first
They try demolish the earth
I'm tryna blaze a fuckin trail on it
So I don't need to be so hard anymore
I used to show off my sword
Until I fucked around and fell on it
I remember my past but never dwell on it
We cried a river of tears
It's time we sailed on it
I speak the truth because it lighten my load
My head is heavy to hold
It's like somebody put a whale on it
I fuck with Woo because his beats so skilled
Like god this beat's so ill
Without a whistle or a bell on it

Cover your face when you walk by
Drench your visions in darkness
(Shut up and be cool)
Spit up blood when you cough
Cool, cool, cool
(Motherfucker, be)
Cough, cool, cool, cool
(A-1, just be)
Cough, cool, cool, cool
(Man, know your roll, be)
Cough, cool, cool, cool

Now, if this ain't the realest, then it come close
The bass hit you in the face with the blunt force
I used to think this was the country that I love most
Now my stomach hurts when somebody mention the Gulf Coast
Like why is the world so ugly?
We throw away food, half of the world go hungry
I come from a town that was built from that gold money
But like my nigga Dan, I don't come from old money
No, no see we made that old money
That "work a slave into the grave" type old money
My mama immigrated
She come from the old country
My daddy immigrated
He could fit his whole country
In the state of California
He thought he was so lucky
Just to be here, get a degree and hold money
Get a job, step up his game and fold money
Now he tryna get the money the government stole from him
Damn
That's why I ain't too close with my Uncle Sam
And if you ever been broke then you understand
Some people like the institution but I'm not a fan
Mama named me Adam but she should have named me Oscar Grant
I'm half black but I feel like I'm three-fifths
Until I get the other four-tenths, no peace, bitch

Cover your face when you walk by
Drench your visions in darkness
Spit up blood when you cough
(Be)
Cool, cool, cool
(They tell me "Adam, be")
Cough, cool, cool, cool
(A-1, just be)
Cough, cool, cool, cool
(They like "homie, be")
Cough, cool, cool, cool

Now, if this ain't the realest, then it come close
Now let the bass hit your face with the blunt force
Cool, cool, cool
(Motherfucker, be)
Cool, cool, cool
(Tell em Adam be)
Cool, cool, cool
(A-1, just be)
Cool, cool, cool
(Now shut the fuck up and be)
Cool, cool, cool
(Shut up and be)
Cool, cool, cool
(Be cool)

A-1 (Rap)

A Bay Area rapper who rose to internet fame following his 2010 release of After School Special, a nostalgic mixtape with artful lyrics from popular television shows from the late 80s and the 90s when Adam was a kid.

Since then, he has remained an underground rapper, while not signing with any major labels and being his own promoter. Though many have joined him on his journey to stardom, he still has a long way to go before he will be acknowledged by the hip-hop elite.