Talib Kweli

What's Beef?

Talib Kweli


Yo I was sold to a sick European by a rich African battlin' 
Middle Passages, I can't go back again 
Battlin' years of denyin' history, lies and mysteries 
Wives with misty eyes watchin' their niggas be beaten viciously 
Battle in the wilderness of North America 
Ran by the river, only stoppin' to pray 
Chased by predators 
Terrorists with etiquette who vote and kill their president 
Their capacity for evil so evident and prevalent 
Ain't no hesitation involved, a nation dissolved 
While we sit back waitin' to evolve 
Those who would trade in their freedom 
For their protection deserve neither 
Fuck a name, fuck tradition 
Religion - you learn Jesus 
Turn the other cheek 
Inherit the Earth, just stay meek 
Fuck the way you speak 
Try to walk, we chop off your feet 
Fastforward to 2003, niggas beef 
The psychology of children are slaves to run deep 

[Mos Def and Talib Kweli] 
Hell yeah, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo 
What's beef? hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo 
That's beef, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo 
It's always your own peoples 
Sometimes it's your own peoples yo 
Yeah yeah, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo 
What's beef? hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo 
That's beef, hell yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yo 
It's always your own peoples 
Sometimes it's your own peoples yo 

[Mos Def] 
Beef is not what Jay said to Nas 
Beef is when workin' niggas can't find jobs 
So they tryna find niggas to rob 
Tryna find bigger guns so they can finish the job 
Beef is when the crack kids can't find moms 
Cause they end up inna pine box or locked behind bars 
Beef ain't the Summer Jam for Hot 97 
Beef is the cocaine and aids epidemic 
Beef don't come with a radio edit 
Beef is when the judge is callin' you "defendant" 
Beef, it comes with a long jail sentence 
Handed down to you in a few short minutes 
Beef is when your girl come through for a visit 
Talkin' bout "I'm pregnant by some other nigga" 
Beef is high blood pressure and bad credit 
Need a loan for your home and you're too broke to get it 
And all your little kids is doin is gettin' bigger 
You tryin not to raise 'em around these wild niggas 
Beef is when a gold digger got ya seat and a 
A manicured hand out like "pay me nigga" 
Or I'm tellin' your wife 
Or startin' up some foul rumor that'll ruin your life 
Beef is when a gangster ain't doin it right 
Another gangster then decided what to do with his life 
Beef is not what these famous niggas do on the mic 
Beef is what George Bush would do in a fight 
Yeah, beef is not what Ja said to 50 
Beef is more than Irv not bein here with me 
When a soldier ends his life with his own gun 
Beef is tryin' to figure out what to tell his son 
Beef is oil prices and geopolitics 
Beef is Iraq, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip 
Some beef is big and some beef is small 
But what y'all call beef is not beef at all 
Beef is real life happenin' everyday 
And it's realer than them songs that you get at Kay Slay 
This has been a Black Star psa 
From Mos Def, Pretty Flocko, black Dante 
And the Black Star embassy, b to the k