Released: September 21, 2018

Featuring: Damian Marley

Songwriter: DJ Dahi Oren Yoel Damian Marley Lupe Fiasco

Producer: Oren Yoel DJ Dahi

[Intro: Lupe Fiasco & Damian Marley]
Facts from the 'Raq
Yout!

[Chorus: Lupe Fiasco & Damian Marley]
Port-au-Prince is a kingdom, Kingston is a kingdom
New Orleans is a kingdom, South Central is a kingdom, yah
Freedom, free men without freedom
Black life is a kingdom, why kill yourself for no reason, for?
(Facts from the ’Raq)
Why kill yourself for no reason, for?
(Yout) Chat to dem with no meaning, fa

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]
Hold the sword like a hand should
Rights of passage into manhood
Heightened malice in the land, look
Like the lights of havoc do no damn good
Half sleep from being overpreached
The other half sleep cause the Xan good
A chief would take his hand like a thief
And make him stand like a man would
In the face of an ambush
To the back of they attack
Front of they frontline, out the plane
With no parachutes in they backpacks
Choppin' weed then droppin' seeds
Then flowers grow where they land at
Proper deeds on top of these
To make power flow from they handclaps
Suicide, it’s a suicide
You and I, we're the new divide
Who arrived to see you survive, that means
Two would die to make you alive, it means
You should ride for the two that died, that means
You will ride with the youth inside your king
You are lying with the truth beside the things
Wise to the lies that the youth provide and bring war

[Pre-Chorus: Lupe Fiasco]
Does a king make a kingdom, or the kingdom make a king?
Is it free when it's freedom, or being dumb mean you free?
Does a king make a kingdom, or the kingdom make a king?
Is it free when it's freedom, or being dumb mean you free?

[Chorus: Lupe Fiasco & Damian Marley]
Port-au-Prince is a kingdom, Kingston is a kingdom
New Orleans is a kingdom, South Central is a kingdom, yah
Freedom, free men without freedom
Black life is a kingdom, why kill yourself for no reason, for?
(Babylon ain't no kingdom)
Why kill yourself for no reason, for?
(Babylon ain't no kingdom)
(Yout) Chat to dem with no meaning, fam

[Verse 2: Damian Marley]
Well if man was meant to fly, Jah woulda made us all with wings
Well he made us all with crowns, that mean seh every man a king
Your mind it is your castle, mind cyan govern how you think
The ghetto is a kingdom, care not how the gully stink
No one can change my mind, no I am thoroughly convinced
My woman is a queen that bring forth more princess and prince
And if you add up the equation, it must mean I'm royal since
Everyone in my surroundings is of royal heritage
Not everyone of royal blood dress up in a mink
Whole heap of king and queen with dem roof make out of zinc
So Jah bless the baby mother washing nappy in a sink
And ah raise the generation weh ah take it to the brink

[Pre-Chorus: Damian Marley]
Does the king make a kingdom, or does a kingdom make a king?
This hidden empire have kings and queens that no one's noticing
Does a king make a kingdom, or does a kingdom make a king?
This hidden empire have kings and queens that no one’s noticing

[Chorus: Lupe Fiasco & Damian Marley]
Port-au-Prince is a kingdom, Kingston is a kingdom
New Orleans is a kingdom, South Central is a kingdom, yah
Freedom, free men without freedom
Black life is a kingdom, why kill yourself for no reason, for?
(Babylon ain’t no kingdom)
Why kill yourself for no reason, for?
(Babylon ain't no kingdom)
(Yout) Chat to dem with no meaning, fam

[Outro: Lupe Fiasco & Damian Marley]
Only fools would feel proud of a dead man
My mind is an excellent weapon
I will not die for a label, let’s come to the table
And put together all our blessings
Our blessings religious, our blessings ability
Our blessings materially, identify enemy
Disconnect from the mentally
Put all of our energy into the kingdom
Back to the front on my way now
God has to show you your way 'round
Tired, I watch while you lay down
You go while I sleep, I put heart to the beat
Take a part of my piece and inherit the heritage
We're not American dreamin'
We’re realizing a kingdom
Only fools would feel proud of a dead man
My mind is an excellent weapon
I will not die for a label, let's come to the table
And put together all our blessings
Our blessings religious, our blessings ability
Our blessings materially, identify enemy
Disconnect from the mentally
Put all of our energy into the kingdom
Back to the front on my way now
God has to show you your way 'round
Tired, I watch while you lay down
You go while I sleep, I put heart to the beat
Take a part of my piece and inherit the heritage
We're not American dreamin'
We're realizing a kingdom

Lupe Fiasco

The Chicago born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco first tasted success when he featured on Kanye West’s hit “Touch the Sky”, a track that shortly preceded his real breakout, his 2006 debut album Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, and he never looked back. He has established himself as one of the greatest urban wordsmiths of all time, with Genius even dubbing him the ‘Proust of Rap’.

While he’s now regarded of one of the 21st Century’s Hip-Hop greats, he wasn’t always a fan of the genre, initially disliking it due to the prominence of vulgarity and misogyny within it. In his late teens, he aspired to make it as a lyricist. In his early twenty’s, he met Jay-Z, who helped him sign with Atlantic Records in 2005. The following year, he released his debut album (Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor), which was met with acclaim from fans and critics alike, as did his sophomore effort, Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool.

The following eight years of his career saw far less output than many would’ve anticipated. This can be partly attributed to his struggles with Atlantic Records. The executives wanted him to sign a 360 deal; however, as he refused to do so they instead shelved his already completed 3rd album, Lasers, and wouldn’t promote him as they had previously. The overseers at the label also interfered with his music (as they had tried to do with his fan-favorite track “Dumb it Down”); subsequently effecting the quality and sound of his third and fourth albums.