“Moonlight” is inspired by the 2016 Oscar-winning film of the same name. At the 89th Academy Awards the musical La La Land was incorrectly announced as the Best Picture; after a few minutes the error was corrected and Moonlight was declared the winner. It became the first film with an all-black cast...
[Intro]
Yeah, got a lil' cold
So bear with me
Yeah, yeah
[Chorus]
We stuck in La La Land
Even when we win, we gon' lose
We got the same fuckin' flows
I don't know who is who
We got the same fuckin' watch
She don't got time to choose
We stuck in La La Land
We got the same fuckin' moves
[Bridge]
Y'all fuck the same fuckin' chicks
I'm in the skrt with ya— yeah, right
I'm in the skrt with ya— cool story
I'm on the j— 'nough of this!
[Verse 1]
Look, I know killers, you no killer, huh?
Bathing Ape maybe not a gorilla, huh?
Glorified seat filler, huh?
Stop walkin' around like y'all made Thriller, huh?
Fake Dracos all in the videos
We show 'em, we shoot 'em in my city though
I don't post no threats on the Internet
I just pose a threat, blame Lenny S for that
I don't be on the 'Gram goin' ham
Givin' information to the pork, that's all spam
Please don't talk about guns that you ain't never gon' use
Y'all always tell on y'all self, I'm just so fuckin' confused
[Chorus]
Y'all stuck in La La Land
Even when we win, we gon' lose
Y'all got the same fuckin' flows
I don't know who is who
We got the same fuckin' watch
She don't got time to choose
We stuck in La La Land
We got the same fuckin' moves
[Verse 2]
Y'all niggas still signin' deals? Still?
After all they done stole, for real?
After what they done to our Lauryn Hill?
And y'all niggas is 'posed to be trill?
That's real talk when you behind on your taxes
And you pawned all your chains
And they run off with your masters
And took it to Beverly Hills while we in Calabasas
And my head is scratchin' 'cause that shit is backwards
That shit ain't right, Lucian is cool
But Lucian don't write, Doug ain't this tight
So fuck what we sellin', fuck is we makin'?
'Cause their grass is greener 'cause they always rakin' in mo'
[Outro]
Na-na-na-na
Nah, nah
Moonlight was written by JAY-Z & No I.D. & Salaam Remi & Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean & Pras & Teena Marie & Allen McGrier.
The hook is ‘We stuck in La La Land/Even if we win, we gonna lose.’ It’s like a subtle nod to La La Land winning the Oscar, and then having to give it to Moonlight. It’s really a commentary on the culture and where we’re going.
A24, the entertainment company behind Moonlight, posted a screenshot of the Genius mobile song page header for this song on Instagram the day after 4:44 dropped: