“Crown” opens with an uplifting, inspirational spoken word intro over a soft melody produced by Eric G. Midway through the beat switches to a 9th Wonder-produced boom-bap beat over which Rapsody raps about Crown’s themes of pride, empowerment, hard work and striving for greatness.
[Intro: Rapsody]
Hey, hey you there - where's your crown?
You didn't leave the house without your crown did you?
Just as sure as the earth is round
We bounce back up when they throw us down
So don't forget your crown
And hold your head high
Like you caught a glimpse of God through the clouds
And you stuck in awe
Don't worry we got y'all
Mind and body, body and mind, tell 'em homies
The world is bigger than your street and mine
And that colour and this
And every shade of our skin is rich
Knowing your future depends on our involvement
So, block boys, block boys
It's in our hands more than Parliament
The gun can kill or the gun can save
Rather congratulate a stage than carry him to a grave
That's responsibility
My brother's keeper
My sister's big sister
Life full of lemons we just gotta add a little sugar to
To those sweet dreams
You can be anything
Go farther than me, be better than him, climb higher than her
And never ever let em knock your crown, that's my word
All hands on deck
Making kings and queens of all cards we dealt
Jamla, Roc Nation
Let's go
[Verse 1: Rapsody]
I lied to mama one time when I was eleven
Riding in the car she told me something I won't forget it
Truth gon' chase the light no matter what night that you said it
It make me feel so low
She peeled my feelings back like lettuce
With no salad told me save all of the carriage for the ballads
Now I'm dropping jewels as if we gave up on the marriage
I know it's hard to handle we ain't came here in no carriage
The hood is for the rain
And where they throw us is the barracks
Where we learn to master beats without a panther or a ferret
It came out in the '80s same as me I was a baby
And what I learned 'bout life is: Lord is sure is not the fairest
If your skin ain't as fair as all the Beckys, Tiffanys, and Sarahs
Black don't crack, Obama ain't flinch
I sat inside that White House having conversations
How boys turn to men if we show 'em more than the rims
If they jumping high for the rims
Ain't a goal that we cannot win
I'm setting picks for you and them I hope you roll off
Million black graduates, woo! Just go and show off
Reaching out to everyone from the top to block y'all
Lemonade pitchers we grew up with, what's a curve ball?
Made something out of nothing
Better out of worse
Take care of your own
I know I gotta do that first
I know there's power in my time
I know there's power in a verse
Tell a kid good job and tell him go hard on the work
You know the world you grew up in is very small compared to Earth
It's the worst they lied and told you your limits on the future
Y'all can brush it off though, came back around and groom ya
Me, Alicia, Talib, Busta, everyone and you ya, agh!
In life there ain't no rules, rule
Whatever you dream you can do, do
They tell me I'm a king!
They tell me I'm a queen!
In life there ain't no rules, rule
Whatever you dream you can do, do
They tell me I'm a king!
They tell me I'm a queen!
Crown was written by 9th Wonder & Eric G & Rapsody.
Crown was produced by Eric G & 9th Wonder.
This woman is the next big thing!!