Black History

(Verse 1: Royce da 5'9")

Soon as I was born, I knew I was due to do some damage

Came out the womb, doctors passed me around the room and panicked

Four pounds, dark purple, couldn't even breathe on my own

Shakin' baby in an incubator, breathin' machine for my lungs

Doctor told my mom and pops they gon' have to keep me for a couple months

Papa regretting doin' coke, mama probably those couple blunts

Little did they know there was nothing to be ashamed of as long as we

Keep the unconditional love between us, I feel like the Mona Lisa

Hospital found out my pops had a lapse in his insurance

I learned just how people are quick to turn

The doctor came back and said, "We're gon' release him"

That's the same thing in my first deal the label head said

Same as the judge after 365 days in jail cells

You probably think my moms and pops ain't raise me well

Wait, please, I was hard-headed

The only person who could get through to me was maybe JAY-Z

They tried to give my autistic son medicine for ADHD

Same kid who could look at a piano and memorize all 88 keys

I learned everything I need to know at day one in the hospital

They gonna doubt you, *****

And you can't even pay no one to care about you, *****

(Interlude (PRhyme 2): DJ Premier)

As we proceed to give you what you need

Y'all know what it is

We'd like to welcome you to another round of hip-hop in its purest form

On behalf of Heaven Studios and Works of Mart—we comin' (comin', comin')

(Verse 2: Royce da 5'9" & (DJ Premier))

1966, March 21st

In July 17th, '61 marks the birth, the birth of two phenoms

I'm talking about Chris Edward Martin and Keith Edward Elam

This is for the real Gang Starr fans, not the ones who call us P-Rhyme

One come from Massachusetts, the other from Texas

Had a dream to become the next *****t, filled up his whole truck trunk with records

And moved to New York, that's where Premier the god linked with Guru the lord

If ever duplicated, Hell froze and there was a blue moon before it

And that *****t birthed Group Home Freddie Foxxx, inspired *****t

Like Jay Z, Nas, B.I.G, I'm just comin' clean like the Jeru song

Yo! MTV raps, Rakim in the back

Fab 5 Freddy in the hat interviewin' Chubb Rock

Pac in the cut with his boots and Juice on (RIP)

Pac still killin' to this day, still the one they tryna be

Y'all know I'm from Detroit, I'm diggin' in the crates, now I'm from the diamond-D

I ain't wit the showbiz, I'm just AG tryna sign me a Fat Joe deal

And go and ball and every ***** I got OG is on call

That's O.C, *****, I confess that I finesse

I smile at death like Malcolm X, I'm solid, yes, in '99

I told myself, if I could figure out how to bottle it, I'd be out of debt

Y'all *****s just novices, y'all can just move inside

I got that car pedestrian confidence, yessir, I got that Uber Drive

Y'all wanna know who the best is? Look around at who alive and who done died

(Then what?) Then look at me, Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T

Em and the Slaughters, y'all don't have to look any farther for the rhymers

Y'all are the past, at the present time I'm the Future

'Cause all my competition tryna be Desiigners

I'm just tired of being underrated by these lazy bloggers

They just tired of re-rewindin'

Y'all tired of me saying I'm the greatest? (Y'all tired yet?)

***** y'all, I'm tired of re-remindin'

I survived Vietnam and my city laid me a grave

Preem laced me boom-boom-God-damn with Lady of Rage

Since then I've been on my Jamie in "Ray", nobody seein' me

She douche, I give her ***** she'll never forget, that's D and D, Preem, cut!

(Outro)

Come on back with me, this black history

Premier's on the wheels, yeah we makin black history

Come on back with me, this textbook Big L and Pun

On the real to real, that black history

I made up my mind (mind)

Went to sleep, dead (dead)

That's in the past

I'm gon' wake up alive

Live, live, live

We takin over, this *****t this year

Preem cut me! Come on back with me, this black history...