In 1993, Stephen Lawrence was killed. 10 years later, Life is still angry about the way the police treated this murder case. He wrote this song to denounce the wrongs in this particular case and to relate them to the social context.
[Intro: Malcolm X]
We declare our right on this earth
To be a man, to be a human being
To be respected as a human being
To be given the rights of a human being
In this society, on this earth, in this day
Which we intend to bring into existence
By any means necessary
[Verse 1: Life]
Where's the justice? Stephen Lawrence was killed
Cold bloody murder, a racist attack by five guys who hated blacks
They blatantly proved that, caught live on camera in a flat
Simulating violent attacks with sharp knives and bats
Calling blacks niggers and goons, lynching be their rocketry
While boasting by street fights and other kinds of thuggery
Obviously, the police they never done their job properly
But most of them are racists and hatred is their philosophy
Treating us like aliens trespassing on their property
The way they treated Stephen Lawrence' case was a mockery
Daylight robbery, they stole a life and got away with it
Smiles on their faces, but them racists gonna pay for it
If only me and Stephen could have swapped
If it was me at the bus stop
I would have bossed up every one of them white blood clots
It's a fact, most time I pack an axe inside my rucksack
And once I start swinging black, no way they could adopt that
Five heads in the duffel back, my axe back in my rucksack
But if I would've done that, they would've said I was on crack
Brought hanging back and fright my black cast like a big mac
But it's a fact, the lords will relax when the victims they be black
What a tragedy: they killed Stephen and broke up his family
Stabbed him severally, the black community reacted angrily
When the five boys walked scot-free from the enquiry
Smiles on their faces, concordly grinning, got away with killing
One of their fathers been a known villain serving time in prison
For fire-arms, shock offences, and ism-schism
This evil man also stood trial for a murder case
And was also charged for shooting a girl, point blank in her face
A rich man who usually seemed to get the charges dropped
Whether its bribing the victims or giving backhanders to the cops
[Interlude: Martin Luther King]
Man is so caught up in this evil system of racial injustice
[Verse 2: Life]
A dodgy situation: the police station
Brought to life by Stephen's family
Led to an internal investigation
Officers were suspended, handed in resignations
When questioned on the matter, they showed no cooperation
The home office had no choice, pressured by the people's voices
To intervene and find out just what these five boys did
And why Stephen's family made a private prosecution
I'm still disillusioned, by the lack of law enforcement contribution
This black prosecution, ignorance and racism
Why Stephen was killed by five men, they never went to prison
This kind of thing, it does no good for race relations
And further marks the reputation of Great British police stations
Most of the force are caucasian, only in a few situations
In police stations have I seen a couple token blacks and Asians
I'm losing my patience with this downpression stereotypical accusations
A blatant racial discrimination please, fabrication, provocation
And character assassination, unprovoked attacks on young blacks
In police stations, the black population is seen as a second-class nation
To me, this is a break down of integration communication
Fixation on the sensation, I'm feeling this situation
The situation I'm talking about is one of rich intimidation
Degradation, sufferation, freebasing freemasons
Who try to tighten the laws and lock the doors on immigration
They like to see an African and Jamaican migration
Strong believers of repatriation and a strictly white nation
In America they didn't do a thing about the beating of Rodney King
That's why the LAPD are the cause of all the deaths and the rioting
They incited that and decided to blame it on the blacks
But in the light of the King case, how they ask us to react?
Finding the offenders not guilty means they ignored the facts
The more it gave the LAPD a license to beat upon the blacks
This racism, blood clot ism-schism
But this rude man is gonna fight down the system
[Bridge: Life]
Them should've never killed Stephen, no, them dodgy little event
Yo yo, they should have never killed Stephen
One day we're the racist, we're all gonna get even, yeah
Them should've never killed Stephen, no no, them dodgy little event
Now what we say: one day we're the racist
Till them say that we have to get even, yo yo
Lord have mercy, now what we tell: them racists can't curse me
Until we say...
[Outro: Life]
Yeah man, rest in peace Stephen Lawrence
Until the majority stop harming we
There should never be racial harmony, only sufferation
Free education to teach the youths about integration
Jobs and equal rights for Asians, blacks and whites
Until this day there should always be bloodshed and fights
In the memory of Stephen Lawrence
And the strength of his family to fight back against the system
Peace! The L-I-F-E bringing you wisdom
In Memory was produced by Nappa.