The mind is a terrible thing to waste Success is the champagne I've yet to taste The face of a race swiftly turns to waste Lost without a trace to sudden disgrace Building a land called knowledge D-Nasty, hand me a chisel, Caelove, hand me a culture To call my own, my very own Not commercialized by an on-mission vulture Pure like ivory, but it's ebony Stop telling me it's Harlem's or it's Bed-Stuy's And it ain't Asia's, it's Africa's Can't you tell by their formation of the eyes Earth's my planet, New York's my home Searching my conscience, serious my thought Power to the people who are claiming that we're equal Because superiority in races just shouldn't be taught I ain't no bandwagon rider on a temporary flame tip that'll eventually burn off I'm presenting it to you like a friend Cause to some, militance's a turn-off I ain't a Marine unless boot camp's in Fort Green The formula of my rhyme is anger Ignorance is a disease, right, Mike? And to it, I'm no stranger Some would rather not listen, freak it, I'm scrambling What a brother from UB know? But jail is justice for those who don't bust this
What I told them 40 tracks ago s** your teeth, grab what lies between your briefs Try to dis, make names, call claims, but remember January clowns die in December Because a thinker plays no games Serious thinkers The mind is a terrible thing to waste God bless the child who ain't wild Heaven, hopefully, will be the place For me, with spirits that's free and life histories compiled Metropolis-dwellin', the felons and watermelons The stereotype, believing the hype Depraved and the slaved in the home of the brave Conspiracy to end men of mahogany skin As I walk through poverty, I see ignorance Illiteracy, crime activity Overwhelmed by lust to be Donald Trump A BMW owner, a dookie chain possessor A greediness of capitalism, is what I grill Value system on the lesser Tricked by the man's master plan Fell victim in a world of congregation School, to some, is merely a TV program To which they turn the station Without knowledge, like the London Bridge We come tumbling down, and it tackles America just becomes a big plantation With us sentenced to shackles Serious thinkers