Black History

Lyrics

[Verse 1: Royce da 5'9"] Soon as I was born, I knew I was due to do some damage Came out the womb, doctors passed me around the room and panicked Four pounds, dark purple, couldn't even breathe on my own Shakin' baby in an incubator, breathin' machine for my lungs Doctor told my mom and pops they gon' have to keep me for a couple months Papa regretting doin' coke, mama probably those couple blunts Little did they know there was nothing to be ashamed of as long as we Keep the unconditional love between us, I feel like the Mona Lisa Hospital found out my pops had a lapse in his insurance I learned just how people are quick to turn, the doctor came back and said, "We're gon' release him" That's the same thing in my first deal the label head said Same as the judge after 365 days in jail cells You probably think my moms and pops ain't raise me well Wait, please, I was hard-headed The only person who could get through to me was maybe JAY-Z They tried to give my autistic son medicine for ADHD Same kid who could look at a piano and memorize all 88 keys I learned everything I need to know at day one in the hospital They gonna doubt you, nigga And you can't even pay no one to care about you, nigga [Interlude (Tabernacle: Trust the Shooter): DJ Premier] As we proceed to give you what you need My name is DJ Premier I'd like to introduce to you AntMan Wonder On behalf of Bad-Half Entertainment and Works of Mart PRhyme 2 is comin' (Comin', comin'...) [Interlude (PRhyme 2): DJ Premier] As we proceed to give you what you need Y'all know what it is We'd like to welcome you to another round of hip-hop in its purest form On behalf of Heaven Studios and Works of Mart—we comin' (Comin', comin'...) [Verse 2: Royce da 5'9" + DJ Premier] 1966, March 21st (Wooh!) In July 17th, '61 marks the birth (Wooh!), the birth of two phenoms I'm talking about Chris Edward Martin and Keith Edward Elam (Okay) This is for the real Gang Starr fans, not the ones who call us P-Rhyme (Word) One come from Massachusetts, the other from Texas Had a dream to become the next shit, filled up his whole truck trunk with records And moved to New York, that's where Premier the god linked with Guru the lord If ever duplicated, Hell froze and there was a blue moon before it (Preach) And that shit birthed Group Home Freddie Foxxx, inspired shit Like Jay Z, Nas, B.I.G, I'm just comin' clean like the Jeru song (Wooh!) Yo! MTV raps, Rakim in the back Fab 5 Freddy in the hat interviewin' Chubb Rock Pac in the cut with his boots and Juice on (R-I-P) Pac still killin' to this day, still the one they tryna be (Yup) Y'all know I'm from Detroit, I'm diggin' in the crates, now I'm from the diamond-D I ain't wit the showbiz, I'm just AG tryna sign me a Fat Joe deal And go and ball and every bitch I got OT is on call (What's that?) That's O.C, bitch, I confess that I finesse I smile at death like Malcolm X, I'm solid, yes, in '99 I told myself, if I could figure out how to bottle that, I'd be out of debt Y'all niggas is novices, y'all can just move inside (Wooh) I got that car pedestrian confidence, yessir (Yessir), I got that Uber Drive Y'all wanna know who the best is? Look around at who alive and who done died (Then what?) Then look at me, Kendrick Lamar, and Pusha T Em and the Slaughters, y'all don't have to look any farther for the rhymers (Damn!) Y'all are the past, at the present time, I'm the future 'Cause all my competition tryna be designers I'm just tired of being underrated by these lazy bloggers They just tired of re-rewindin' Y'all tired of me saying I'm the greatest? (Y'all tired yet?) Fuck y'all, I'm tired of re-remindin' (Ha ha!) I survived Vietnam and my city laid me a grave Preem laced me boom-boom-God-damn with Lady of Rage Since then I've been on my Jamie in "Ray", nobody seein' me (Uh uh) She douche, I give her dick she'll never forget, that's D and D, Preem, cut me! [Outro (Tabernacle: Trust the Shooter): Sample + Royce Da 5'9"] "I—" "I—" Come on back with me, this black history... [Outro (PRhyme 2): Sample + Royce Da 5'9"] "I'll be back, but for now, just—" Come on back with me, this black history Premier's on the wheels, yeah, we makin' black history "I'll be back, but for now, just—" Come on back with me, this textbook Big L and Pun, on the real to real—that black history I made up my mind (Mind!), went to sleep dead (Dead!) That's in the past, I'm gon' wake up alive-live-live-live We takin' over this shit this year! Preem, cut me! "I'll be back, but for now, just—" Come on back with me, this black history...