Common — Gladiator

[Intro: Pharrell & Common] Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing Nothing you could do (Straight up) There's nothing you could do (You know the boy is serious) There's nothing you could do I don't even know why you wanna play with it There's nothing you could do [Hook: Common] They say he's a radical, he don't fit the game A heart full of glory and a fist of pain A couple of battle scars but shit's the same Are you not entertained? To all the onlookers and the bystanders Wait 'til intermission, run, buy your cameras Record the moment, cause it'll be platinum And you could say you seen Common rock the stadium The gladiator [Verse 1: Common] I was told by a wise old to come from the heart Though I might've did The Light, I don't run from the dark The dark knight to spark mics and start fights The warrior archetype like Kimbo Slice It's strength in the beard, am I loved or feared? A beast amongst boys, like Paul I'm revered Vroof, vroof-vroof, vroof-vroof-vroof, well Like Jacob Jewel, I keep clientele You frail on the mic like you might break a nail I might smoke a joint but I won't take the L I knew a fat broad that broke the scale Still touched down cause I was off Martell Had dreams of breaking Mike Vick out of jail Took the Underground Rail' to the NFL I rebel in YSL Here to leave a trail like Nelson Mandel' [Pre-Hook: Pharrell & Common] There's nothing you could do Man, why you wanna go against me? There's nothing you could do (You've seen where I'm from) There's nothing you could do (You've seen what I do) There's nothing you could do [Hook: Common] They say he's a radical, he don't fit the game A heart full of glory and a fist of pain A couple of battle scars but shit's the same Are you not entertained? To all the onlookers and the bystanders Wait 'til intermission, run, buy your cameras Record the moment, cause it'll be platinum And you could say you seen Common rock the stadium The gladiator [Verse 2: Common] My words is the sword, my skill is the shield My life is the style, I stay dressed to kill A legend like Will, Smith with the steel I could save the world when shit get for real The skinny George Foreman, all in your grill My rhyme style is blind, it's all in the feel Touch it and watch the blood fall with the steel The weak raps you wrote you could call that your will My drive (VROOM!) is how I stay the livest Your guys got you gassed, my flow is a hybrid Crashed I survived it, gashes over eyelids You easy to take out cause you hot garbage I'm amped like wattage—the truth, nigga, honest Any moment opponents drop out like college Kneel and pay homage to the rap Ziggy Stardust Stadium, hands in the air, fists balled up [Pre-Hook: Pharrell & Common] There's nothing you could do (You know what it is) There's nothing you could do (The boy is raw) There's nothing you could do (So who next?) There's nothing you could do [Hook: Common] They say he's a radical, he don't fit the game A heart full of glory and a fist of pain A couple of battle scars but shit's the same Are you not entertained? To all the onlookers and the bystanders Wait 'til intermission, run, buy your cameras Record the moment, cause it'll be platinum And you could say you seen Common rock the stadium The gladiator [Verse 3: Common] Feet in the dirt, blood on the shirt Scars over bars, symbols of the work Tight clothes the armor, center of the drama Defeat your whole army like this is Sparta So don't violate or you'll get violated Some of you model bitches is so overrated Don't mean to underrate it but damn it, I made it In the water I waded, on the corner I painted Draw blood like we related MCs get de-decapitated Syncopated is the style that I fight with, write with Mr. Excitement change your face up like a white chick Then light shit up like a dread with the herbs Get sex in the city and head in the burbs These are the words of a radical The crowd applaud, I'm bowed, I'm proud To be the gladiator [Pre-Hook: Pharrell & Common] There's nothing you could do (How could you even question this?) There's nothing you could do There's nothing you could do (Now you know) There's nothing you could do (The future) [Hook: Common] They say he's a radical, he don't fit the game A heart full of glory and a fist of pain A couple of battle scars but shit's the same Are you not entertained? To all the onlookers and the bystanders Wait 'til intermission, run, buy your cameras Record the moment, cause it'll be platinum And you could say you seen Common rock the stadium The gladiator