Released: October 12, 2015

Songwriter: Talib Kweli

Producer: Thanks Joey

[Produced by Thanks Joey]

[Hook]
Nigga it’s chess, not checkers
Don’t let emotion control you and fuck the whole event
You gotta move your pieces and control your centre
You gotta move in peace and control your centre

[Verse 1]
I never stop no matter what the competitor’s gotta say
Chop it up like an edit, a predator’s gotta prey
Stand down, look at my city right in the face
[?] recognize that we caught up in yesterday
Hey, wait, I’m building castles out in Brooklyn
This chess, not checkers, watch the king switch with the rook
And then it’s checkmate nigga
The check play [?] then it’s [?] bricking up your chest plate nigga
Soul inventors never no pretenders
It’s like my borough is my co-defender
Ain’t no agenda besides control the centre
Is it the hustlers or the customers that‘s co-dependent?
If the knight takes the bishop, does he go to Heaven?
That’s the question, science versus religion
Apply it to higher living you’ll find it’s the same mission
My flow is lotus position, you’re broken up like a bedframe
You can’t advance on the board without an endgame
So what’s your endgame?

[Hook]

[Verse 2]
Life ain’t a game, it’s a bitch and she gonna diss you
You tryna master the game like you searching for Bobby Fischer
You fallin’ victim to the lies you be clutching on
Such a pawn to the bandwagon you jumping on
We ain’t game players, we’re game changers who spray up the train
And remain famous, my neighbours be waving flags like gang bangers
The knights and the police patrol the blocks on horses
The bishop saw the priest, they asking who to worship
Everybody claim the king, it ain’t a secret
That the king the most important but the king also the weakest
Especially when his queen is gone he be leanin’ on the other for protection
See your queen is much more than just affection, word
I need my queens to recognise their power
Got the world in your palm like Ms. Hill’s “Final Hour”
I forever stay clever, knock you out like Mayweather
For the belt cause the most difficult opponent is myself, yes

[Hook]

Talib Kweli

If skills sold, Talib Kweli would have been one of the most commercially successful rappers of his time. As it was, however, the earnest MC became one of the most critically successful rappers of his time, which dawned in the late ‘90s when he rapped alongside Yasiin Bey (then known as Mos Def) and DJ Hi-Tek as part of the group Black Star.

Talib is known for his numerous collaborations with other artists like Kanye West, Common, Madlib, Bilal, The Roots, Dead Prez, Q-Tip, John Legend, the list is endless. He has also embraced a whole new generation like Blu, Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y, and Ab-Soul.

Kweli has recently spearheaded a direct-to-fan means of distributing his music via his new site #KweliClub. Check it out to get his latest music including many free downloads.