Conflict Diamonds

[Intro]
Diamonds are forever (yeah)
They won't leave in the night
I've no fear that they might desert me
Uh, F&F, yeah
You know what I'm saying
I figure, I feel like I should just
You know, show people other side that weren't aware
You know what I'm saying
They are presently unaware
They don't know about it
You know what I'm saying
You know just show 'em there's an other side to this thing right here
We call it bling

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]
Yeah
Allow me to break down the game
Behind the bracelets, earrings, chains, watches and rings
The bling
The crystal encrusted, princess flooded
Canary studded, blue coloured and blood stained
Yeah, the older brother of the drug game
The giver of fame, the take awayer of lame
The empowerer of the kings that came with claims and disease
To leave where the native peoples were staying
Believe, my engagement ring received
And flossed at the cost of a bonded child miner's pain
Long ago kings used to wear 'em in their armor when they fought other armies
Because it used to scare 'em
If you wasn't rich, couldn't wear 'em
Witches used to marry 'em
They'll shoot you before they share 'em
The gift and the curse, the venom and the serum
Most hated lady's best friend, get murked for a clear one

[Bridge]
Diamonds are forever (yeah)
You know what I'm saying
(Diamonds are forever)
Now I ain't comin' down on nobody
You know what I'm saying
I ain't trying to judge nobody and nothin' like that (Forever)
You know what I'm saying
I floss too, I might go get me a pinky ring tomorrow
You know what I'm saying
But, I just want you to see man
You know what I'm saying
Just see man

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]
Uh, Cecil Rhodes sowed war and genocide
Into the countryside just to get his shine on
I fear what De Beers and his peers used to do
Before the world really knew, just to get their mine on
Making paper with slave labor
And hitting little kids with life time bids making them cut and shine stones
Inflating the price and making them look nice
And I wasn't thinking twice when I was putting mine on
About a young shorty in Sierra Leone
Or other conflict countries that people call home
I figured I would never go to Angola
So it never did affect me there, maybe indirectly
That my neck leash was funding a rebellion or a military coup
Started by militias that don't believe in following none of Geneva's rules
I was brushing off the haters, trying to be cool
Didn't have a clue that the rapper was helping the rapers
Raiders of the villagers, pillagers of the schools
Shooters of the innocents, torturers of the witnesses
Burners of the businesses and my bracelet was the fuel
Uh, I ain't pushing an agenda, homie
I'm just pushing the facts, fuck Bush
'Cause there's people doing worse on this earth and they're black
I took it there, yeah, now let me bring it back
We all know on foreign shores that they finance wars
But ask yourself, "Do they finance yours?"
When I first got mine I took them out on tour
Didn't know they lost half the value when I took 'em out the store
Or it was full of moissanites and cubits
But the jeweler knew I was stupid
And that I couldn't prove it
Feeling like I need it because I do music
To impress the groupies and the interviewers
So I didn't appraise it, nor did I loupe it
Even gave them to my girl, thinking I was Cupid
Homies was all hate, hoping they could make me lose it
Creeping through my own hood, knew I had to remove it
I see the Russian Mafia, the Jewish Mobsters
The undercover terrorists and the traps for the hustlers
Homie, it's a wrap for the nonsense rhyming
Props to Kanye, I call it "Conflict Diamonds"

[Outro]
Diamonds are forever (yeah)
You know what I'm saying
I felt like I should just let you all know that
You know what I'm saying
Make you all aware, so many people
Do things to glorify 'em
I felt like it was time for somebody to do somethin'
That would horrify 'em
You know what I'm saying
Bet you never thought that
That 20 karat ring or 20 karat chain or bracelet that you got on
Is fundin' some little war somewhere
Got some little kid murderin' a whole family somewhere
You know what I'm saying
But hey! Just think, now you know
You know what I'm saying
You gotta know to be a hypocrite, baby (haha!)
Hollaback, F&F up! (Forever)
Chi-town, Lupe!