The Roots — The Dark Trinity

[Verse 1: Black Thought] Yo, mountain high and valley low and river wide and tunnel deep I have traveled chasing demons, screaming "All I find I keep" If you don't pay like you weigh, alright, okay, that's fine with me I'ma display my heat and say my piece and lay you down to sleep Ain't nobody tell you clowns to speak, I'ma AK you down the street Draw that pump that's built for the riots, see how quiet y'all can keep Ain't no wilding, it ain't no problem, ain't no question, it ain't no beef Cut that check then things are sweet, I'ma go buy some diamond teeth I'll be damned if my setback gon' help you get back on your feet No surrender, no retreat, nigga we out here tryna eat Hashtag, diamond dog tag, money bag, nice swag Pockets need an ice bag, toe tag, body bag Niggas lose their lives sad, rockets in their flight path Breaking bad, making bad, choices out here, thinking fast Smoking wet and drinking bad, soaking wet and sinking fast Shoot them niggas making cash, stick them niggas, take their stash The law of gravity meets, the law of averages Ain't no sense in attempting to civilize savages Even though I wish I could be spared my embarrassment I'm a nigga, other niggas pale in comparison We out in Paris yet but still a nigga perishing No idea how much time's left, fuck tryna cherish it A life in times unchecked, now that's American Inherit the wind, pressure in everything [Verse 2: Greg Porn] The world ain’t ready for someone like me When life is sex, drugs, drama and I’m hooked on all three I’d rather OD than be the next OG That's fraudin' for a whore that already chose me One man revolution, that’s supportin prostitution I’m tryna pimp the game, where balling don’t mean hooping And ridin' don't mean cruisin', it mean keep your bitch ass movin' If you ain’t built for bruising, redrum ain’t in your blueprint In a jungle made of concrete, every animal Jumanji On Eazy-E and PCP, ass cash or EBT How you monetize pigeons on a power line? On the road to the riches, every dude's a dollar sign I don’t mind, I don’t mind, long as all the smoke is mine And the liquor store delivers faster than a Papa Johns And I heard that death is calling, money’s on the other line The last episode of Good Times is my life [Verse 3: Dice Raw] It's a phrase they say in the streets When the young players meet: "Get rich or die trying" But the funny thing about that phrase to me Is that these little niggas be lying Cause don’t nobody wanna die But everybody tryna get rich though But the fucked up thing about that These lil' niggas, they don’t how to get rich so I still run with those angels Man, I still peep all those angles Speaking with guns, speaking in tongues Talking that Arabic and that Yiddish Riding them trains, stashing them chains, bangles Yeah, I played all those games though My tag on the wall, you niggas look up You can still see my name yo How did I end up where I’m at? It’s kind of hard to explain yo I remember all I wanted was a gold chain and a Kangol I remember all I wanted was a gold chain and some Jordans To impress that bitch, then I got that bitch Now all I want from her’s an abortion My mind filled with distortion, my eyelids say caution Yeah I sold crack to get my soul back, they say it’s gon cost a fortune And I wonder if Allah take debit, cause a nigga got real bad credit If not, I ain’t got a whole lot so a nigga like me just can forget it, ha!