Track 10 off In the World: From Natchez to New York.
Spoken-word poetry at its best. Father/Son Olu Dara and Nas team up to bring the listener right to the competitive “Jungle” streets of New York, and tell about how this not-so big world is pretty similar on every corner.
[Nas]
Yeah
It's like a jungle
Makes me wonder
It's like a jungle
[Olu Dara]
JUNGLE!!
[Nas]
Yo, I have to look out
Everywhere I go
I have to turn around
Watch my back, watch my front
That's what it's all about
It's a jungle of the mind
There's a jungle when you hang
Where they bang
The world's so big yet so small
It's one block
Many die mentally before they reach what they wanted
I choose to get blunted
And cruise the One Hundred Twenty Fifth street
Music loud as hell in my jeep
Eyes meet people, strangers
Not thinkin' of danger
Amongst my people
Some I see through
But one guy stares
Maybe he thinks he knows me
Or maybe he's crazy
Killer, baller, dealer
Something he has he wants to show me
But I'm at this red light
Is it me or is he looking dead right
In my face?
As I pull the strap that I keep
Underneath the seat
Just in time
I was able to fled the scene
And leave him standing there
With his hands in the air
See, my life is green
Harlem to Queens
Triborough bridge packed with cars
Trucks, vans and cabs
They got this new E-ZPass thing
Computer, taking over the cash thing
So as I drive home
I roll my window up
And my endo up in the same motion
See life is so full of surprises
And as I paid my toll
I drove to see my man
"What up kid, Don, brova?
Whats the deal?"
He said
"Everything's easy bro'er man
It's all real"
I said
"But what happened earlier
Why everybody outside?"
He said like
"Blue suits came runnin' through
And took thirty brothas for a ride
Yo, right after you left the Ave"
Yo, the same thing that's been going on
Since I was young in the past
Still goes on, how long will it last?
Gotta get strong fast
Out in the jungle, baby
Jungle
That's how it is
Olu, got the music playing
Outside it ain't no playing
We just paying attention
Listening now to everything that's happening
Cause if it's on it's on
And it's always on
It's just like this song "Jungle"
What's gonna happen next out here
It's gettin' crazier, weirder
People losing spirituality, morality
What's happening
From Jazz B-Bop to Rappin'
It's all the same thing, a Black thing
A map thing, a world thing
Boy, girl thing
Woman, man, child
From Sweden to the Nile
To Australia, Europe
Africa to Venezuela
China, Japan
Everywhere you go understand
It's a jungle
The whole world
[Olu Dara]
Jungle
Jungle
JUNGLE!!
JUNGLE!!
Olu Dara released Jungle Jay on Wed Feb 18 1998.