The Roots — Rising Down

[Intro: Dice Raw] Hello hello hello hello Hello hello hello hello Hello hello hello hello Hello hello hello hello Hello hello hello hello [Verse 1: Yasiin Bey] Every anywhere: heights, plains, peaks or valleys Entrances, exits, vestibules and alleys Winding roads that test the firm nerve Fortune or fatal behind the blind curve The engine oil purr, lights flash to a blur Speed work through the Earth, make your motor go "Skrt!" Tonight at noon, watch a bad moon rising Identities in crisis and conflict diamonds Blinding, staring at lights 'til they cryin' Bone gristle poppin' from continuous grindin' Grapes of wrath in a shapely glass Ingredients influential on your ways and acts Zero tolerance to raise the tax It don't matter how your gates is latched You ain't safe from the danger, jack Made it way before they made the map Or a G-P-S, this is D-E-F, leader! [Chorus: Dice Raw] I know where I'm goin' even when it's dark And being led down that road (Hello hello hello hello) You don't see that something's wrong Earth's spinnin' outta control (Hello hello hello hello) Everything's for sale, even souls Someone get God on the phone (Hello hello hello hello) Northside, nigga, Southside (Hello hello hello hello) Shit's poppin' off worldwide (Hello hello hello hello) [Verse 2: Black Thought] Between the greenhouse gases, and earth spinning off its axis Got Mother Nature doin' backflips The natural disasters; it's like 80 degrees in Alaska You in trouble if you not an Onassis It ain't hard to tell that the conditions is drastic Just turn on the telly, check for the news flashin' How you want it bagged: paper or plastic? Lost in translation or just lost in traffic? Yo, I don't wanna floss; I done lost my passion And I ain't trying to climb; yo, I lost my traction They makin' me break, my contents under pressure, do not shake I'm workin' while the boss relaxin' Here come Mr. Taxman, he leavin' a fraction, give me back some Matter-fact, next paycheck, it's like that, son I'll fuck around and have to hurt a few men They probably chalk it up as a disturbing new trend—Hello! [Chorus: Dice Raw] I know where I'm goin' even when it's dark And being led down that road (Hello hello hello hello) You don't see that something's wrong Earth's spinnin' outta control (Hello hello hello hello) Everything's for sale, even souls Someone get God on the phone (Hello hello hello hello) Northside, nigga, Southside (Hello hello hello hello) Shit's poppin' off worldwide (Hello hello hello hello) [Verse 3: Styles P] Should I say hello? Or should I say that Hell is low? Am I a nigga or a Neg-r-o? (Tell me) I'm an African American (Yeah) They sell drugs in the hood But the man, he move the medicine (He move the medicine) He'll prescribe you Augmentin for everything (Everything) A little stuffy nose, tell you, get some Claritin (Haha) You know I'm hip to it And it's hard to claim the land when my great-great-great-grands were shipped to it Look at technology: they call it downloading (Pshh) I call it downsizing; somebody follow me (Follow me) Does a computer chip have an astrology? (Does it?) And when it fuck up, could it give you an apology? (Could it?) Should I say hello? Or should I say goodbye? (Goodbye) Try to understand how smart and how hood am I It don't matter though Until we learn that the world don't turn right We all oughta scatter, though [Chorus: Dice Raw] I know where I'm goin’ even when it's dark And being led down that road (Hello hello hello hello) You don't see that something’s wrong Earth's spinnin’ outta control (Hello hello hello hello) Everything's for sale, even souls Someone get God on the phone (Hello hello hello hello) (Hello hello hello hello)