Against the canvas of the night Appears a curious celestial phenomena Called the Black Star but what is it?
What is the Black Star? Is it the cat with the black shades, the black car? Is it shinin' from very far to where you are? It is common place an' different, intimate an' distant Fresher than an infant
Black, my family thick like they're striped molasses Star on the rise in the eyes of the masses Black is the color of my true love's hair Star's are bright, shinin', hot balls of air
Black like my baby girl's stare Black like the veil that the muslimina wear Black like the planet that they fear, why they scared? Black like the slave ship that later brought us here
Black like the cheeks that are roadways for tears That leave black faces well traveled with years Black like assassin' cross hairs Blacker than my granddaddy armchair He never really got no time to chill there 'Cause this life is warfare, warfare
Deep on the front lines to black is all there Black like the perception of who on welfare Black like faces at the bottom of the well I've been there before To bring the light and heat it up like 'La Cocina'
Make without imagine happen but maybe I'm just a dreamer I love rockin' tracks like John Coltrane love Naema Like the student love the teacher Like the Prophet love Khadeja Like I love my baby features Like the Creator love all creatures
Who acknowledge truth an' peace seekers We on point like heat seekers Targettin' the black marketin' strategists Run up on 'em with the heaters Everybody followin' with no leaders Feelin' like we killin' ourselves Because I know they can't defeat us
It don't stop 'til we complete this, keep this fly There's so much to life when you just stay Black an' God Blacker than the night time sky of Bedstuy in July Blacker than the seed in the blackberry pie
Blacker than the middle of my eye Black like fellah man cry Some man wan' ask who am I I simply reply, "The U N I V E R S A L Magnetic"
Work to respect the angelic, climb the mountaintop An' tell it 'til the valley's enveloped You're full of big chat but you now know me I'm dark like the side of the moon you don't see When the moon shine newly
You know who else is a Black Star? Who? Me You know who else is a Black Star? Who? Me You know who else is a Black Star? Who? We An' we be shinin' an' shinin', when we rhymin' an' rhymin' We be shinin' an' shinin', when we rhymin' an' rhymin'
Now, everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two It's the third eye vision, five side dimension The 8th light is gonna shine bright tonight It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
You know the light go from the dark The other way is ass-backwards It's absurd, make you wanna crow like a blackbird That's right, you livin' from your first day to your last night Sometimes you show your ass like lint on your clothes
When you froze in the black light Dead that before you get your head wrapped Like Badu, we see through your voodoo Just like Eve's Bayou, you dealin' with that black magic
Try to civilize you, not walk on by you Like civil lies do get you black listed It'll be unlucky for you like a black cat, a panther Revolution is the answer, that's what we need Greed plague my people like the cancer, true indeed
Now, black people unite, let's all get down Now, everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two It's the third eye vision, five side dimension The 8th light is gonna shine bright tonight