1. |
I Am Not Your Negro
04:10
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When was the last time that you were the only one in the room who looked like you?
Did you not see color?
Were you looking for another?
Were you feeling kinda desperate?
Were you looking for the exit?
A victim of your circumstance?
Were you angry?
Were you anxious?
Were you scared?
Or: did you dance?
Let me see you dance.
Did you question their intensions?
Were you on some kind of mission
to make them understand your condition
and the fact of your existence?
Did you take the time to listen?
Or: was it beautiful?
Did you stay until the end?
Did you want to tell your friends?
Did you feel a sense of pride
just for being in the room and alive?
Well: I am not your negro.
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2. |
This Is Not a Pipe
02:57
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"Les enfants qui applaudissent sur l'un ne vont pas au paradis."
This is not a pipe
This is not a pipe
This is not a right
This is not a pipe
This is not right
This is not wrong
This is not a pipe
This is not a song
"This is weird."
This is not a pipe
This is not crack
This is not white
This is not black
This ain't yo ass
This ain't yo face
This is not about class
This is not about race
"Why is it always about race with you people?"
Because it is.
Now try these shoes on.
Big feet.
This ain't no Mardi Gras
Or San Francisco
This ain't no party, y'all
This ain't no disco
This ain't jazz
This ain't the blues
This ain't the network
This ain't the news
"And the moon turns to blood."
This ain't no painting
Ain't no Matisse
Ain't no Picasso
Ain't no Magritte
This is the treachery.
Of images.
Of ideas.
Of sound.
This is the treachery
Of humanity.
Of democracy.
Of mediocrity.
This is the treachery.
Of images.
Of ideas.
Of sound.
Of song.
Of harmony.
Of the P-bass.
Of this phat beat.
Of the guitar.
Of the One.
Of the One.
Of the One.
La la la la la la la la la.
"Don't you dare clap on the one."
"The One is not for clapping, the One is where yo' ass goes."
"Stop clapping on the One! Don't make me stop this song."
La la la la la la la la la.
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3. |
Mediocrity
03:41
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I ain't never seen so many
mediocre mamma jammas
whining cryin bout
what somebody else got.
Whining from the middle
acting like they at the bottom
as they give it all up for the ones on top.
Soon enough they'll be coming for y'all
Soon enough you'll be the ones up against the wall.
Hypocrisy.
Democracy.
Mediocrity.
They're coming for you baby.
They're coming for you baby.
How you gonna go and put all yo trust
in these mediocre man-children who keep failing up?
They're coming for you baby.
They're coming for you baby.
You be whining bout the takers
Act like you the only makers
but you just a buncha fakers
and you just a buncha haters
who's yo daddy massa master
who's yo trolling baiter baiter
who's yo operator perpetrator
regulator speculator
talking head commentator
traitor traitor legislator
later later alligator
one day you gon hafta answer
to your creator.
He's coming for you baby.
The Lord is coming back again.
He's gonna wanna know:
Who did you love?
Who did you not love?
And why?
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4. |
Songs Ain't Enough
02:58
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Numb from dread.
Black and blue and red.
Just give up.
Songs ain't enough.
You could try to be heard
You could try to be profound but
Lyrics are just words and
Songs are just sounds
Melody just cacophony
Just air movin' round, pushed
To the ear.
Reception.
Creation through perception of vibrations.
But one day you may to rise to the occasion
Inspiration. Salvation. Standing ovations.
Keep on trying. And trying.
Keep on standing strong and tall.
Or fall
Further down.
Smash to the ground.
Curl in a ball.
Crying.
Try not to hurt the ones you love.
Try not to leave in a huff.
All of this stuff.
Songs ain't enough.
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5. |
Bigger
06:00
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1. THE BIGGERS
Bigger Number One
Was the neighborhood bully
Bigger Number Two
He aint pay no rent
He got away with it
Bigger Number Three
Sneaked into movies
They say: "One of these days
We gonna hafta kill him."
And they did.
Bigger Number Four
Big ups and big downs.
Always got his head in a book
He mimics The Man
He went insane.
Bigger Number Five
Way before Rosa
Sittin where he wanna
With clenched fists and anger
And no fear for his life
He pulls the knife
And alas:
He does not move
2. HOW BIGGER WAS BORN
And bigger was born.
He was born of
Hammer and sickle
And iron bars
Topsy turvy
Born of the things I do to save you from yourself
Keeps you in your heaven
As I make my way through your hell
3. BIGGER NUMBER 6
Bigger Number Six
Be rocking them dress shoes
Cuz I don't wanna sing the blues
Be rocking that suit and tie.
Cuz I don't wanna die tonight.
Will I be taken as less of a threat
When I be rockin' these nerd specs?
Battling your misconceptions
With micro-passive-aggressions (like I'm)
On the straight and narrow.
But I'mma leave the hair tho.
4. BOURGIE DOUBTING CRYING UNCLE
This is the new Bigger Thomas
Here to save you from yourself.
This is a bigger Bigger Thomas.
Here to save you from yourself.
This is a Doubting Thomas
This a Uncle Thomas
This is Bigger Bourgie Doubting Crying Uncle...
Bigger Number Six
They say:
"One day we gonna hafta get him, too."
And they did.
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Bryan Thomas Albany
Nippertown’s Greg Haymes says Albany soul rocker BRYAN THOMAS's "writes smart, and he writes from the heart, balancing
intellect, passion and politics.”
The Times Union named him“Best Male Singer-Songwriter” shortly after he released his acoustic hip-hop debut Radio Plastic Jennifer in 1999. The follow-up soul rock epic Ones and Zeros was Metroland Magazine’s “Album of the Year” in 2002.
... more
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