uh, someone called the cops on him
someone told his pops on him
he was talking crooked and he had some rocks on him
tucked, tucked in his socks' corner
chucks, chucks and the charlotte hornet
cap, when he flowed then they all surprised on him
yes, he's a fugee but he go all nas on 'em
well, can't go pras on 'em
and he got that crossover
but he from the streets you don't cross over
hut, hut to the block soldiers
buck, buck to the cop vultures
nope, no i don't know pilots
nigga i know pirates
violence the islands
shout out to my idrens
put your hands up like it's a mother f*ckin' siren
well, i paid all my dues
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
shone a million [shoes](undefined)
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'cause when you got nothing left
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
you got nothing to lose
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
i used to stand on vernon and 10
burnin' a spliff burner on hip
wishing to flip a bird, yac burning my chest
black certainly i'm dressed
strictly that army shit
finish my shift
pack gone before the dawn hit
anything i could earn on the strip
turn it and flip
watching my back
cooking the pot
making it stretch
discussing with' my clique
should we duct tape the connect
it's rough and k'naan knows
he had the same woes
i'm voicing my opinions
i forgot y'all was there
i ain't know y'all was still listenin'
be honest i ain't care
y'all don't get my innuendos my interests
y'all on some simple shit
thinking i'm preachy
yeah my church is the world
christians sip a cup of this holy water
stuck at this phony border
it's custom to enter the main stream
you must front and record
a poorer oratory
your life story corny
yo, my somali niggas know what war be
we fam'
well, i paid all my dues
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
shone a million [shoes](undefined)
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'cause when you got nothing left
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
you got nothing to lose
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
remember when niggas said nas was somalian
baseball caps had the tags, like a yardie and
it was written just came out, i was gnarly then
niggas dreaded seein' me like a rastafarian
we didn't know the dress code though we was bargainers
the knock off filas, with the pumps and cheap cardigans
niggas looked corny i admit, we was foreigners
but this corny kid, quick to send you to the coroners
y'all know my war story, i won't repeat it
it's just injury, my victory's undefeated
thought you knew me well, go back and delete it
i'm in every joint this year, orthopedic
and yes the ak's are instruments we do drum 'em
i'm somewhere between killa and king solomon
and the shades take half the face we over stun 'em
and treat obstacles like ass we overcome 'em
man, they really made me do this
i was peaceful like a buddhist
but then niggas came and screwed it up like judas
now i'm suited up with lugers
rugers suddenly intruders
turn around like hoola hoopers
f*cking losers
well, i paid all my dues
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
shone a million [shoes](undefined)
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'cause when you got nothing left
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
you got nothing to lose
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
this one's for the world
this one's for your girl
this one's for your mama
this one's for your nana