[Flavor Flav] Yeah that's right Chuck man, that's what you gotta do You got to tell 'em JUST LIKE THAT, you know what I'm sayin? Cause yo, man let me tell you a little somethin man All these brothers around here fiendin for that crack-a-lack-a-lack You dig what I'm sayin? Yo man, all they wanna do is get what you got But when you ain't got nuttin, then they wanna cut you off So what you gotta do, you gotta play 'em long distance You know what I'm sayin? I mean long distance They think we takin shorts, show 'em this is Cold Medina man C'mon, kick it!
[Chuck D] Back one more time, here to put the message in a rough rhyme It's important that you knowin the time Cause I'm seein the program, know what I know and Until we get together we will never be up for sure So I wreck like I'm posessed by Malcolm X See the feds want us dead, we too complex I always speak the truth, comin from me to you We movin as a unit so you KNOW we refuse to lose I got my eyes on the lies from Washington I'm a survivor, I know how the West was won See a show and tell, the way the CoIntel Undermind the REAL hip-hop so the cops can trail But know bad boys move in silence Save us all from the pain of a life of violence They tappin my phone, full grown and knowin And still prone to refute the lies, won't stop until we rise
[Hook: Chuck D] + various samples Rise up! "C'mon, ah-c'mon" Rise... rise up! "One more time" We rise... rise up! "C'mon, ah-c'mon" Rise... rise up! "To the beat y'all"
[Chuck D] I'm a hard truth soldier to the bone for change Demonstrate and seperate the fact from strange Blame companies killin our children When the villain's on the record never think for a second that's the way we live Wanna squeeze on the fleas at MTV We quiz knots for the cops at BET Seize the time, always rhymin combinin the antidote For dope Interscope and fake gangster quotes Cause I can recollect times when records set Collect a dead brother you mind if you silence it yet Rest the program, defeat the beastie Cause on the street they do as we influenced by what we see And yes it "Weighs a Ton" I say it once again That's why the Enemy is down with Paris and KAM It's all fam, we collide we live Better decide on which side you ride, won't stop until we rise
[Chuck D] I know the power of fame, ain't never playin no games Never croonin is provin, that we ready for change Never simpin but they pimpin my people, for the dollars So I holla back it keep us from EVIL 'til them devils are collared And like I said it's on, I say it once again Better know the plan to keep us ignorant Brother to brother, ain't no other can smother Or erase my case, we marry words with BASS Just another wicked rhyme that I'm rappin on S1's got my back if the clappin come Pass on the work, makin sure the words are known Keep 'em nervous, make 'em understand we servin foes Keep it goin strong, nevertheless, know the enemy And never back down, you can take it to press 'Less the mic like the art dart told you before We for the prize emphasis the fight, now c'mon and rise