Released: October 19, 1999
Featuring: Talib Kweli Common
Songwriter: Diamond D Common Talib Kweli Pharoahe Monch
Producer: Diamond D
[Verse 1: Pharoahe Monch]
Yo, truth had me up against the ropes
Semi-conscious without no boxing skills
Fear of it makes hair on my neck grow like minoxidil
Watching the clock is ill when faced with the truth, parallels
Observing amateur video tapes of
Twenty-one top-notch NYPD cops get ill
Fill their minds not to kill, still, some never revealed true feelings
Me speaking on the truth right now in itself is a healing (Uh)
See the Creator created existence and balance
At right angles, unless it was conceived and stated
So whoever shall stray away from right lives wrong
The deliverance of the word "false," opposite of truths, off-course
Sure as my slave name sending
Troy Donald Jamerson paves the path, enablin' truth
To stay stable and cling to Earth
Sort of similar to the way static electricity sting (Come on), see
Truth brings light, light refracts off the mirror
Visions of yourself and error could never be clearer
The truth is that you ugly
Not on the outside, but in the inside
On the outside, you frontin', you lovely
The discovery of these things and all are well hidden
But when you in denial of self, it is forbidden
That's the truth (Uh, uh)
[Bridge: Common]
That's the truth, boy
In due time, we will find
See it everywhere, gotta recognize (Uh)
[Verse 2: Common]
Let the truth be told from young souls that become old
From days spent in the jungle, where must one go to find it?
Time is real, we can't rewind it
Out of everybody I met, who told the truth? Time did
We find kids speakin' 'cause it's naturally in us
But the false prophets, by tellin' us we born sinners
Venders of hate, got me battlin' my own mind state
At a divine rate, I ain't in this just to rhyme great
See the truth in the thighs of a stripper, the eyes of my nigga
If it's only one, then why should it differ?
So constantly, I seek it
Wonder why I gotta drink a six-pack to speak it
Took a picture of the truth and tried to develop it
Had proof, it was only recognized by the intelligent
Took the negative and positive 'cause niggas got to live
Said I gotta give more than I'm given
'Cause truth'll never be heard in religion
After searchin' the world, on the inside, what was hidden?
It was the truth
[Bridge: Talib Kweli]
Truth, truth, truth (Yeah)
Truth, truth, truth (Mm)
In due time, we will find (The truth is...)
Check it
[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
On my neck, I still got marks from the nooses (Uh)
The truth it produces
Fear that got niggas on the run like Carl Lewis (Yeah)
The truth is, my crew is the smoothest spitters of saliva juices
Like The Roots is, more organic than acoustics (Uh)
Heavenly, what will set you free and kill you in the same breath (What?)
That shit you gotta get off your chest before your death
Unless the way you speak is lighter than a pamphlet
'Cause the truth give the words the weight of a planet, goddamnit
I ran with what God planted in my heart, and I understand it
To be to bring some light to the dark, breathe some life in this art
This must be the truth (Why?)
'Cause we keep marching on (True)
The truth lay the foundation of what we rockin' on (True)
You can't see it if you blind, but we will always prevail (True)
Life is like the open sea, the truth is the wind in our sails
In the end, our names is on the lips of dying men (Uh)
If ever crushed to the earth, we always rise again
When the words of lying men sound lush like the sound of a violin
The truth is there, it's just the heart you gotta find it in (Find it in)
[Outro]
You will find, you will find, you will find
You will find, you will find, you will find
You, oh
Yo, truth had me up against the ropes
Semi-conscious without no boxing skills
Fear of it makes hair on my neck grow like minoxidil
Watching the clock is ill when faced with the truth, parallels
Observing amateur video tapes of
Twenty-one top-notch NYPD cops get ill
Fill their minds not to kill, still, some never revealed true feelings
Me speaking on the truth right now in itself is a healing (Uh)
See the Creator created existence and balance
At right angles, unless it was conceived and stated
So whoever shall stray away from right lives wrong
The deliverance of the word "false," opposite of truths, off-course
Sure as my slave name sending
Troy Donald Jamerson paves the path, enablin' truth
To stay stable and cling to Earth
Sort of similar to the way static electricity sting (Come on), see
Truth brings light, light refracts off the mirror
Visions of yourself and error could never be clearer
The truth is that you ugly
Not on the outside, but in the inside
On the outside, you frontin', you lovely
The discovery of these things and all are well hidden
But when you in denial of self, it is forbidden
That's the truth (Uh, uh)
[Bridge: Common]
That's the truth, boy
In due time, we will find
See it everywhere, gotta recognize (Uh)
[Verse 2: Common]
Let the truth be told from young souls that become old
From days spent in the jungle, where must one go to find it?
Time is real, we can't rewind it
Out of everybody I met, who told the truth? Time did
We find kids speakin' 'cause it's naturally in us
But the false prophets, by tellin' us we born sinners
Venders of hate, got me battlin' my own mind state
At a divine rate, I ain't in this just to rhyme great
See the truth in the thighs of a stripper, the eyes of my nigga
If it's only one, then why should it differ?
So constantly, I seek it
Wonder why I gotta drink a six-pack to speak it
Took a picture of the truth and tried to develop it
Had proof, it was only recognized by the intelligent
Took the negative and positive 'cause niggas got to live
Said I gotta give more than I'm given
'Cause truth'll never be heard in religion
After searchin' the world, on the inside, what was hidden?
It was the truth
[Bridge: Talib Kweli]
Truth, truth, truth (Yeah)
Truth, truth, truth (Mm)
In due time, we will find (The truth is...)
Check it
[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
On my neck, I still got marks from the nooses (Uh)
The truth it produces
Fear that got niggas on the run like Carl Lewis (Yeah)
The truth is, my crew is the smoothest spitters of saliva juices
Like The Roots is, more organic than acoustics (Uh)
Heavenly, what will set you free and kill you in the same breath (What?)
That shit you gotta get off your chest before your death
Unless the way you speak is lighter than a pamphlet
'Cause the truth give the words the weight of a planet, goddamnit
I ran with what God planted in my heart, and I understand it
To be to bring some light to the dark, breathe some life in this art
This must be the truth (Why?)
'Cause we keep marching on (True)
The truth lay the foundation of what we rockin' on (True)
You can't see it if you blind, but we will always prevail (True)
Life is like the open sea, the truth is the wind in our sails
In the end, our names is on the lips of dying men (Uh)
If ever crushed to the earth, we always rise again
When the words of lying men sound lush like the sound of a violin
The truth is there, it's just the heart you gotta find it in (Find it in)
[Outro]
You will find, you will find, you will find
You will find, you will find, you will find
You, oh