Lupe Fiasco - Manilla lyrics

[Intro] We are a people who have historically been on the verge on extinction Freeway We have been at many times, under much stress Since being brought into this country On many, many slave ships [Verse 1] Preparations, reparations from segregation Genius at Genesis, master system SEGAs Punjabi mommy, dissecting Vedas on Sepulveda Anointed players who coin phrases, that's metal paper Level layers, several shades of grey, submission for it MILF lover under silk covers who kiss her horses Pilates central to preservin' the body temple Jazz cla**ics combatin' the fattest a**, status Quotient; my potions soakin' like boats in oceans Motion sickness, I overdid all my finesse pack Multidecker, new refreshment, lesson from jet snacks My momma wisdom, my competition is setbacks Jetlaggin', very swaggered and my Jordans dirty AMG performance, my foreign don't show no mercy Mere products, objects, meaningless to the over-standards Contemplatin' with industralists and social planners Manillas! [Chorus] Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us God said [Verse 2] Life's work, overseeing the Five Cla**ics You can accomplish anything if you survive blackness Sober living, Kosher kitchen, and co-defendants Soda sippin', the soca rhythms, and global vision Fear no verdict, but I feel allergic to local prisons My new resurgence, a due return into socialism Youth moves pay dividends as an old man Snake-headed Mayan goddess body with gold hands Father sins, send his twins into the underworld Though legendary, I weapon carry for same goals My February's is necessary to save souls Epilepsy diamonds flicker foolish on the cuff wrist Do my duty to be useless to the f** sh** Manufacture finished goods to service local needs Dashboards lack the means to show my total speeds Fast forward floors forge orchids to golden me Construct the future with thirty bars Long tenures, I'm returning home to thirty cars Jasmine necklace from a poor woman on Hindu streets I gave her Rupees, she gave me beauty, I temple creep Manillas [Chorus] Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us God said [Verse 3] Roman logic, Greek prophets, and add tutors Be more young'ns, they 12 o'clock, and then jump the scooters Through entertainment, I end the training to run the future In time check off my checkouts, too much for your computers Chakra waves, singin' boats, stirring up Dalai Lama Creation, step in my mental selection Bobby Konders Nightmare women, dream girls, and body monsters Don't confuse my tempation battles for batty mantras Sole pilot til' my reputation is bodhisattva Worked the Boticelli saw Venus in this topless opera Lost the combination need security to come and pop-a-lock'a Still no drinkin', just bought this champagne here to wash this vodka Punk band merchandise patches on leather coats Tell you tales of illegal sales by fedded boats Swallowed by waves, the hollow graves, they'll never float Sunken ships carried slaves, tokens to western coasts Manillas [Chorus] Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us Don't ruin us, don't ruin us, don't ruin us God said [Outro] Copper alloy bracelet forms were recognized and used as currency For transactions in the 15th century to the mid 20th century Their metal content varied from copper to bra** Most manilla were manufactured in England or France And like trade beads, were used for trade with Africa The local chiefs on the slave coast of West Africa traded their human cargo For many different commodities and manilla was one of them This manilla was manufactured in Birmingham between 1830 and 1850 Being shipped to Africa to be bartered for one slave, each manilla These slaves were then packed into hulls of ships And taken to the West Indies and the Americas To be sold for vast profits if they did not die from the journey The Duoro was one of the slave ships Would trade goods on their way to Africa to pick up their human cargo When she hit a rock and sank in 1843