MANIFESTO lyrics
by Nas
[Intro: Tyler, The Creator & DJ Drama]
Lil' white b*tch gon' say
"You need to say something about that"
"You need to say somethin' 'bout black—"
b*tch, suck my—
Yeah
Go time
[Verse 1: Tyler, The Creator]
That ain't your religion, you just followin' your mammy
She followed your granny, she obeyed master
Did y'all even ask up questions?
It's holes in them stories
Is it holes in your blessings?
Yeah, I'm bold with the message
I know I ain't got the answer
But I ain't gon' cheerlead with y'all just to be a dancer
I'ma groove to my own drums, sunlight in my shadow, baby
Move 'til my soul c*ms, let them serpents rattle, baby
[Verse 2: Domo Genesis & DJ Drama]
Crackin' like broke porcelain, b*tch
We ocean deep if you just pour us in a portion of sh*t
Them people try to twist my view on some contortionist sh*t
I had to reevaluate what was important and sh*t (O-F)
Finders, keepers, when you creep inside my mind it's madness (Yeah)
If I see peace, I'm like a fiend (Ooh), uh, gotta have it
Lord, cover me I'm goin' in, walls closin' in (Uh)
How I'm supposed to be protected (Huh?) when the laws want us in?
Y'all want us dead, just 'cause the skin is the black type (Ah)
Teach me everything and be amazed I don't act right
What the f*ck?
I'm tapped in the matrix, I'm back and they hate it
I'm black and make 'em pay me capital statements, you dig? (Ching)
Word on my back, I'm tryna fashion a statement
I ain't no bast*rd, we the master of the path that we blazin', you dig? (What?)
(On God, now)
[Verse 3: Tyler, The Creator & DJ Drama]
I came a long way from my past, n*gga, it's obvious
V12 engine, I'm fishtailin' on some sloppy sh*t (Skrrt)
Internet bringin' old lyrics up, like I hide the sh*t
What's your address, I could probably send you a copy, b*tch
I was canceled before canceled was with Twitter fingers (Haha)
Protestin' outside my shows, I gave them the middle finger (f*ck 'em)
I was a teener, tweetin' Selena crazy sh*t
Didn't wanna offend her, apologize when I seen her
Back when I was tryna f*ck Bieber, Justin
I say with my chest out, you say with your chest in, n*gga (Say it with your chest, n*gga)
Black bodies hanging from trees, I cannot make sense of this (Uh)
Hit some protest up, retweeted positive messages (Uh)
Donated some funds then I went and copped me a necklace
I'm probably a coon to your standard's based on this evidence
Am I doin' enough or not doin' enough?
I'm tryna run with the baton, but see, my shoe's in the mud
I feel like anything I say, dawg, I'm screwin' sh*t up (Sorry)
So I just tell these black babies, they should do what they want
Freedom, need 'em, my n*ggas, seen 'em
Free 'em, don't f*ck with the law like, damn, Gina
So calm the f*ck down before we duck rounds
And fireballs that make your family have to duck the f*ck down
We frontline, we got the molotov that we can chuck now (Woo)
'Cause anytime we movin' up, it's like a "What the f*ck now?"
They playin' games, we strappin' up, we c*ck and aim (Yeah)
We aim to shoot, we shoot to claim what we need
We done with pain and the grievin', n*ggas is done with the peace
Whether it's personal or for the whole of n*ggas, indeed (Yah)
I might not have dreadlocks, I might have these gold teeth
But I'm a n*gga like you, and you's a n*gga like me (Yeah)
So let's be n*ggas together, and let's be n*ggas with plans
But put this plastic on first, 'cause sh*t is hittin' the fan, Scott
[Outro: Tyler, The Creator & DJ Drama]
sh*t like this make me wanna turn my baseball cap to the side
You know, with the T.I. lean
Y'all fake mad
Catch up, n*ggas
Gettin' y'all identity, huh?
Gangsta Grillz
Go get a f*ckin' hobby
sh*t
Ain't nobody perfect
Well, at least y'all ain't, hah