Gemstones gets deep on the Nas track Reach Out featuring Mary J. Blige, off of his 2012 album, Life Is Good.
This song is extremely deep and personal, and provides some much needed commentary, on the many problems within the black community.
[Verse 1]
Why we don’t respect us?
Why do we reject us?
Why do we look down on us when we behind them desks?
Why every time I’m in the drive thru to order breakfast
My own kind at the window talking to me reckless?
Why we hate each other just because we matching dresses?
Shopping at the same mall it should be expected
Why we not accepted?
Why do we accept it?
Why every time we get into it murder’s the objective?
Why every time we talk to us we get so aggressive?
Why do we get so belligerent when we address us?
Why we love to see you down but hate when you progressive?
Jealous of my own brother cuz he drive a Lexus
Get a ticket we the only ones that don’t contest it
But if you throw a picnic you can bet that we the freshest
Why we always pick our dark skinned women second?
Dog and call them names and in reality they precious
We seem to be the only ones that’s targeting our ethnic
Record labels bogus cuz they marketing the records
Today the album drops, but our tomorrow gets affected
Long as we keep signin on the margin by them X’s
Blinded by the money, a Ferrari and a necklace
Okay so the album’s hot but what about the message?
What about the little ghetto kids that we’ve infected?
Kill us cuz we wearin hoodies now we scream injustice
What about the children that’s been murdered by detectives?
What about the ones that get us bogusly arrested?
What about discrimination cause how we complected?
Let me calm down so you can properly digest it
When will we address it?
When will we adjust it?
Fashion seems to be the only thing that we obsessed with
Every nationality that’s breathin we impressed with
Our own kind’s the only one we screamin we don’t mess with
Facebook friends the only people we connect with
Care about our phones more than anything we blessed with
All we do is down talk each other to the next clique
Everything is competition, 'specially if you dress slick
Yeah we unemployed but you can bet we got on fresh kicks
Drama's the effect of everything that we oppressed with
Willie Lynch letter was prophetically a death wish
Tell me how can we destroy the beauty we was blessed with