[Chorus]
Chantelle Nandi:
Keep moving forward, don't let nobody bring you down
It's up to you what happens here on out (here on out)
You are keen intellect creative being
Tell me that you know, that you know, that you know that you're more than this
Keep moving
[Verse 1]
We more than image is often depicted
Jealous of business trying to employ our children
And destroy our mental everyday we more conditioned
To conform to ignorance and ignore wisdom
A darker pigment gets you 50 shots and cops acquitted
While Mumia dreams of freedom from a cot in prison
Knowledge of self helped me understand my origin
From Africans to broken families and cotton pickers
We all witness pictures of starving children
In the mother land, stripped of all its riches
It's a dirty game for brothers, the odds against us
Beneath the sheets of the clan or politicians
Don't care about us or our condition
During Katrina Bush was giving us the middle finger
While we prayed for Haiti others preyed on Haiti
Like beasts, stealing bodies, organ donations and babies
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
We more than pant saggin ignorance
In fact, spell saggin backwards it's n***as
Pick your pants up enhance your appearance it traps us
And stereotypes embedded in slaves by masters
Didn't want slaves to read, education enhances
If the mind is free there's a chain reaction
Let's compare slaves to rappers
They censor freedom of speech and very few leave with masters
He who has nothing is intrigued with status, is a lie
I can't believe these rappers
A label makes 10 million when your CD's platinum
What did you bring home? Did you recoup?
Are you mad I understand I'm speaking the truth
Stop hurting our women and deceiving the youth
You're bringing us down worse than the media do
But we expect that from them, we down need it from you
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
I'm un-apologetically the color god intended
Indeed, I'm unique melanin underneath ebony
Is a blessing ya my disparity is feared by people who lack clarity
To understand and weep
Brilliant resilience spiritual beautiful people
The original buildings and teachers of Kemet in Egypt
Hieroglyphics depicted us who lighten the features
Why do images of Jesus rival biblical teachings
And gentrify like the city limits, unclearly different from the Uptown of Big L or Bed-Stuy Biggie lived in
Barley existences it's modern segregation displacement of color faces whose rent has risen
They say that eyes don't lie, I bear witness
It's time to respect our elders and care for our children-
Deserve better than we had and a clearer understanding of knowledge of self
I'm here to help prepare you
[Chorus]