The Roots & Nina Simone
The Roots & Patty Crash
The Roots & Modesty Lycan & Greg Porn
The Roots
The Roots & Dice Raw
The Roots & Greg Porn & Dice Raw
The Roots & Michel Chion
The Roots & Mercedes Martinez
The Roots & Greg Porn & Dice Raw
The Roots & Raheem DeVaughn
The Roots & Raheem DeVaughn
Check Yo' Self Hip-Hop
A genius satirical take on modern rap, fitting into this album’s context. Each of the three verses represent a different style of today’s hip-hop landscape:
Black Thought’s verse portrays a typical rapper that is talking a lot of shit but not putting anything behind it. By d...
[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Yo, mountain high and valley low and river wide and tunnel deep
I have traveled chasing demons, screaming "All I find I keep"
If you don't pay like you weigh, alright, okay, that's fine with me
I'ma display my heat and say my piece and lay you down to sleep
Ain't nobody tell you clowns to speak, I'ma AK you down the street
Draw that pump that's built for the riots, see how quiet y'all can keep
Ain't no wilding, it ain't no problem, ain't no question, it ain't no beef
Cut that check then things are sweet, I'ma go buy some diamond teeth
I'll be damned if my setback gon' help you get back on your feet
No surrender, no retreat, nigga we out here tryna eat
Hashtag, diamond dog tag, money bag, nice swag
Pockets need an ice bag, toe tag, body bag
Niggas lose their lives sad, rockets in their flight path
Breaking bad, making bad, choices out here, thinking fast
Smoking wet and drinking bad, soaking wet and sinking fast
Shoot them niggas making cash, stick them niggas, take their stash
The law of gravity meets, the law of averages
Ain't no sense in attempting to civilize savages
Even though I wish I could be spared my embarrassment
I'm a nigga, other niggas pale in comparison
We out in Paris yet but still a nigga perishing
No idea how much time's left, fuck tryna cherish it
A life in times unchecked, now that's American
Inherit the wind, pressure in everything
[Verse 2: Greg Porn]
The world ain’t ready for someone like me
When life is sex, drugs, drama and I’m hooked on all three
I’d rather OD than be the next OG
That's fraudin' for a whore that already chose me
One man revolution, that’s supportin prostitution
I’m tryna pimp the game, where balling don’t mean hooping
And ridin' don't mean cruisin', it mean keep your bitch ass movin'
If you ain’t built for bruising, redrum ain’t in your blueprint
In a jungle made of concrete, every animal Jumanji
On Eazy-E and PCP, ass cash or EBT
How you monetize pigeons on a power line?
On the road to the riches, every dude's a dollar sign
I don’t mind, I don’t mind, long as all the smoke is mine
And the liquor store delivers faster than a Papa Johns
And I heard that death is calling, money’s on the other line
The last episode of Good Times is my life
[Verse 3: Dice Raw]
It's a phrase they say in the streets
When the young players meet: "Get rich or die trying"
But the funny thing about that phrase to me
Is that these little niggas be lying
Cause don’t nobody wanna die
But everybody tryna get rich though
But the fucked up thing about that
These lil' niggas, they don’t how to get rich so
I still run with those angels
Man, I still peep all those angles
Speaking with guns, speaking in tongues
Talking that Arabic and that Yiddish
Riding them trains, stashing them chains, bangles
Yeah, I played all those games though
My tag on the wall, you niggas look up
You can still see my name yo
How did I end up where I’m at? It’s kind of hard to explain yo
I remember all I wanted was a gold chain and a Kangol
I remember all I wanted was a gold chain and some Jordans
To impress that bitch, then I got that bitch
Now all I want from her’s an abortion
My mind filled with distortion, my eyelids say caution
Yeah I sold crack to get my soul back, they say it’s gon cost a fortune
And I wonder if Allah take debit, cause a nigga got real bad credit
If not, I ain’t got a whole lot so a nigga like me just can forget it, ha!
The Dark (Trinity) was written by Damion Ward & Dice Raw & Greg Porn & Black Thought.
The Dark (Trinity) was produced by Richard Nichols & Damion Ward & Black Thought & ?uestlove.
The Roots released The Dark (Trinity) on Mon May 19 2014.