Stand tall, live your life to the limit Cause haterism seem like a fucking epidemic And look at Ice Cube, I ain't no gimmick I'm straight from the hood, I got to represent it Now - every day I think about my color And all the crazy shit we do to one another I ain't your blood brother, but I'm your cuz brother Let's take it back to the love and how it was brother If not, we gon' pull these triggers Show the world we deserve to be called niggaz I make a fuck-up, like Don Imus bow on his knees, and call me yo' highness You can too, you got the power to Don't let this motherfuckin system devour you I won't pretend, or act like I'm knowin you But check it out I understand what you goin through
[Chorus: sung from samples] But remember, brothers and sisters You can still, stand, tall Just be thankful... For what you got
[Ice Cube] I know what y'all motherfuckers thinking, heh heh Here comes another rapper with a song about hope All you wanna hear is a song about dope And how a nigga got mo' money than the Pope But he'll never tell you when he drop the soap No~! Ice Cube is here to drop you a note Cause some of our folk used to hang from ropes And some of our people used to hang from trees Now the only thing hangin muh'fucker is DEEZ So, get your mind right, and I'ma rhyme right Fuck the limelight, and a blind dyke I'm the sunlight, too bright to look When it's all said and done I should write the book You too cool for school, too old to know? Get your ass off the grassroots and let 'em grow I understand, it ain't no love lost But little kids, it ain't no Santa Claus
[Chorus]
[Ice Cube] Yeah, f'real I was born in the mud but I came out clean That's 'til the government tried to intervene Tried to lock me up when I was only 19 Don't never ever ever let 'em kill your dream I make shit raw that piss off the law If you want some fake shit turn this off If you want some realness I know you can feel this Maybe we can heal this just like an illness Black on black, I got'cho back People don't think that we know how to act Just because our neighborhood is filled with crack And the CIA, won't take it back Never on top, always on the bottom Never put your trust in Hillary Rodham Cause I can tell you now it's gon' turn out rotten Keep on pushin, get 'em 'til we got 'em
[Chorus]
[Ice Cube] Stand up, f'real... Raise your hand if you sick of this bullshit Heh, in the belly of the evil empire [fades]