who is we
where does this we reside
is it the same place as where we’ve come from
have we progressed at all or is here to comfortable
are the chains to comfortable
what if harriet tubman was afraid of the dark
what if rosa didnt exactly feel like catching the bus that morning
why is the dream still a dream
if not then why are we still slaves
why do we insist on filling up jail cells they built based off our second grade reading scores
do you remember how low they were
still i rose
are we afraid of success or just of being successful
why am i sell out because i’ve chosen to sound like i’ve read a book before
i mean look at our reading scores
do you see how low they are
we wear our pants around our ankles cuz we’re so use walking in chains
please let me explain
see goin back to what we know is in our DNA so we’ll always end up surrounded by whips and wrapped in chains
fame only comes with a ball or a microphone
an your soul is the only thing they’ll accept as pay please let me explain
see we laid them brothers to rest
we killed biggie we killed michael we shot tupac and no it wasn't bobby it was us that killed whitney
see our thirst for someone to admire pushed them to create false masterpieces of their personalities
we’ve created monsters and called them celebrities
im glad gaga called them what they really are
but are we really that different
can we really blame Kanye for selling his soul to the devil after he lost his guardian angel
his soul now resides on exalted cotton fields he sold his soul for the price of a happy meal
and now he cant even afford to frown
why are we resentinng
are 40 acres a mule and an african american president to call our own not sufficient funds
what the (fuck) are we resenting
did we purposely not stand up so we can be lower than their expectations
tell god not to move the mountain just yet we’ve just arrived and we didn't lose our way this time
we overstepped cotton and poison ivy on our way to birmingham
burned bidges all the way o selma
cried all the way to the cross
saw a million faces a thousand places a hundred races
saw a change was in our distance but also within limits
so we reach for the stars cuz they are the only bit of guidence we have left from our ancestors

so we . . . as african american men especially women have to realize that we are strong beyond our own measure and we are only weak with belief and sometimes god places the weight of the world on our shoulders because that the only way he could get us on our knees
now is redefining time
its time to go and tell all those people who said son you are just like your father
daughter you will never be good enough to do anything but lay on your back
friend . why did yu stop smoking again
baby if you really loved me
you’d go an tell all these people that you have made it
you have survived
and when they ask you who is we
tell them we are alive