[Verse 1: Professor Griff] From the pages of the Cress Theory, I know you hear me If you out there, listen up, yeah, I know you feel me Do I look suspicious on this track, with the black In it, black hoodie, consciousness, and black fact Yo, a young kid was shot, is the cry we heard Like Emmett Till, it was tears and hearts felt No arrest warrant, no weapons found One eyewitness, yeah, black body down I can hear it now, it's the same old racist sh** "Thought he had a gun," that's the same old racist sh** Confessions of a trigger-happy hitman Murderous, homicidal nature, the racist plan Burying black boys, the bloodthirsty hunger games The face of race is white, they got no shame 'Stand Your Ground;' they legalize lynch laws Touch another black kid, you touch us all [Hook:, x2] (Some of those kids are small) (Little kids held up[?]) [Chuck D]: Beyond Trayvon [Professor Griff]: He lives in a song [Verse 2: Khalilwho] I get feared looks, but I live 'round here My house right next to yours, but I still get stares In a world of wrongness and fights for the strongest What's the innocent to do when the fight gets brought, kid? No way you're that scared of my hoodie People everywhere getting snared over hoodies Seen a couple pairs get aired over hoodies But they don't care, my skin's bared over hoodies [Verse 3: Rahmega] It's time to stand up and just fight for what you believe in I don't call it violence, I just call it self-defense Call it black intelligence brought to by the people You just in it to get it, I'm in it to make a change In it to change the game, in it to rearrange Modern day lynching, all that leave us is pain Knowledge is power, all I give you is brains, you see It's money, power, respect; all seems the same, ah [Hook] [Verse 4: Jamal Malik aka Young Junior]
This world is so chaotic, all I witness is violence Watching my brothers die and their sons grow with no guidance The truth's what I'm providing to all those who've been blinded Being sold this equality bullsh** I ain't buying I'm so sick and tired of being profiled and instantly Watched close suspiciously because of my ethnicity Ya so stereotypical, it's despicable And every black male in a hoodie isn't a criminal [Verse 5: Goonie B] This is everyday life where I'm from, it goes on But I swear it cannot go beyond Trayvon Because I'm wearing a hoodie I gotta get shot or stopped by the cops It's not just in Florida, it's out in Farrock People really expect us to act civil? Right We got a Black president and still fighting for civil rights We need to come together and unite Because it's time to fight the power So put your fists up in the sky [Hook] (after the hook's repeat) [Chuck D]: Save our sons and daughters Beyond Trayvon [Verse 6: Chuck D] Freed the a**, the mind followed With raps that k**ed tommorow I can't support it, fought it But somebody bought it, community caught it Yeah, but yo government taught it And all you heard of Violence, hard d**, s**, and murder songs Never hated artists who kept making 'em Strong against the wrong, what's been created But look, many neighborhoods are still devastated I say it flow's overrated, shows underrated I hate it when it's degraded and downgraded Spittin' copywritten to music Some of y'all grew up to use it People don't dance to it and just abuse it Y'all say that when I say this Injustice still goes on, beyond Trayvon Thank you NME Sun for this word to the young You the future, save our daughters and sons [Hook] [Unknown female voice] We are now the most degraded people on this planet...