Just a Friendly Game of Baseball (For Our Friends in a Tribe Called Quest)

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Aww shit, another young brother hit I better go over my man's crib and get the pump 'Cause to the cops, shootin' brothers is like playin' baseball And they're never in a slump I guess when they shoot up a crew, it's a grand slam And when it's one, it's a home run But I'mma be ready with a wild pitch My finger got a bad twitch, plus I wanna switch Side, and step up to the batter's box Fuck red and white, I got on Black Sox But let 'em shoot a person from the White Sox What's the call? Foul ball! Babe Ruth would've made a good cop, but he didn't Instead he was a bigot, dig it My life is valuable and I protect it like a gem Instead of cops gettin' me, I'm goin' out gettin' them And let 'em cough up blood like phlegm It's grim, but dead is my antonym And legally, they can't take a fall Yo, check it out, it's just a friendly game of baseball [Verse 2] R.B.I. - Real Bad Injury But don't get happy, you're in jail for a century Just as bad as bein' shot in the groin To see who'll shoot ya, they'll flip a coin And watch 'em run for the stretch But you don't know the man is at home waitin' to make the catch So the outfielder guns you down You're out, off to the dugout, underground I know a cop that's savage, his pockets stay green like cabbage 'Cause he has a good batting average No questions, just pulls out the flamer And his excuses get lamer Once, a brother tried to take a leave But they shot him in his face, sayin' he was tryin' to steal a base And people watch the news for coverage on the game Hmm, and got the nerve to complain They need to get themselves a front row seat Or save the baseline for a beat 'Cause Helevision just ain't designed for precision, y'all It's just a friendly game of baseball [Verse 3] A kid caught on, but I don't know where the brother went The umpires are the government I guess they took him out the game And replaced him with a pinch-hitter In the scam, he was a quitter So the cops usually torment, I mean tournament Win 'em, I was sayin' You can't let the umpires hear ya speakin' bad Or like the other kid, you won't be playin' 'Cause they'll beat you 'til your ass drop A walkin' gun with a shell in his hand is their mascot And when they walk around, let it be known to step lightly The bases are loaded My man got out from three strikes in the skull But the knife he was carryin' was dull Instead of innings, we have endings What a fine way to win things And hot-dog vendors have fun Sellin' you the cat, rat and dog on a bun And when you ask, "What is all of this called?" It's just a friendly game of baseball