Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli - Know That lyrics

I Strike the Empire Back
I Strike the Empire Back fuck the Empire
High flying like the Millenium Falcon
Piloted by Han Solo i never roll for dolo
Fronting on me's a no no
Understand, doing this for my family
Ha ha, check it out y'all

Yo, I'm trying to make a dollar
Out of what makes sense
Add it up, told my daddy I'd be a rich man
You never know when your
Fate gon' switch hand
Get today's solid ground out
Of yesterday's quicksand
I was a young boy who dreamt
About being a big man
On small looseleaf sheets
I sketched a big plan
Gotta handle business properly
Boost up my economy store it up and get my
Mom some waterfront property
Yesterday was not for me but
Nowaday it's time for me
The streets is watching me, I watch back
That's the policy
Moving along my odyssey like
Blood through the artery
Navigate the treacherous and make
It seem effortless
Let those who make the exodus
Seekin' the North beacon
From beating and hog-eating
From punishment all season
From hands cracked and bleeding
Cotton thorns in your palms
It's for y'all that I sketch these songs
And it goes yea, though I walk through the
Valley of the shadow
I fear no man, because faith is the arrow
My vocal chord travel worldwide
To block narrow
We can blow with the ammo or go mano-a mano
Kweli is you with me (What up, what up)
Let's make it happen
I burn through your argument with action
My eyes stay fastened to tomorrow
Looking for a brighter day
When y'all wanna leave y'all right away

Shout it out from East West
(from South to Northern)
From Cackalack (to California)
From the coldest (to the warmest)
To the borders ('cross the waters) understand
" and know that I love you"
We got love in the place
Shout out to all the Queens (all the Seeds)
To all the teams (that's gettin' cream)
From outlaw (to emcees)
Make it happen (do your thing) understand
" and know that I love you"
Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen
Ladies and gentlemen

Guess who the illest MC in the atmosphere
Yeah the Soul Controller
Who roam the frontier like a Buffalo Soldier
I follow the code of honor
Like a real man gonna
Never disrespect no women 'cause
I love my momma
These cats be giving us praise
But it ain't that accurate
I give it up to God
All that love and attachment get
Scary well-prepared with the shears
When it get hairy like how these niggas is
Looking like some fairies
And singing like canaries to the beast
And anybody who will listen to 'em clearly
Y'all don't hear me though
Even when I'm coming through in stereo
You make a mockery of
What I represent properly
Yo, why you starting me
I take that shit straight to the artery
Intellectual property I got the
Title and the deed
I pay for rent with the tears
And sweat and what I bleed
MCs imitate the way we walk, the way we talk
You cats spit lyrical pork
With no spiritual thought
Plus your flow a little bit off
You come across soft
Back in the days niggas like that
On stage got tossed off
Need to get crossed off the guestlist
It's like you gotta be disrespected
And thrown out the exit to get the message
Sometimes your sunshine get snatched
Like a necklace
When you get too drunk on power
And your drive get reckless check it
MCs in my face after I slug
You then I hug you
If I gotta dead you know it's
Only 'cause I love you

Shout it out from East West
(From South to Northern)
From the richest (to the poorest)
To the elders (in the coffins)
Living native (dying for it) understand
And know that I love you
Yea, yea, we got love in the place
Shout out from up top (to the middle)
To black bottom (sky high)
Whether you colder than December
Or hotter than July
It don't stop til we complete this
And know that I love you keep this fly
It's so much to life when you just
Stay black my people, my people