The Remedy

            Common Featuring Q-Tip



Yo, we all got different things that we got to deal with. We always are 

trying 

to put the blame on something else rather than sometimes looking at 

ourselves, recognizing a lot of the stuff that happens, sometimes it has to do 

with other things...but if we look within ourselves, we could prevent a lot of 

this nonsense sometimes, y'know. It's about 

relating back to the essence y'know what I'm sayin', where it all stems from. 

I'm-a do my 

thing over this drum, like a native tongue. 

Verse one Q-Tip: 

Do what you will, if you feel that your steeze is real 

complicated with the skills over reel to reel 

brown skin is what i feel, my mind and body's appeal 

is to the no-frill mills, who hear the beats to chill 

constantly, I'm hearing Black Americans just sneering 

Looking for a leader who can fill us up with ether 

Hitting us up with great emotional chat 

about the fact 

that the black 

is constantly held back 

Like 50 tracks back in a relay race 

and the white team's ahead 

so let's keep up the pace 

And I be needing something that could feed my logical taste 

At the end of the race is there a paradise place? 

Yo, we can't get involved in what the next man is doing 

Material gain we put too much in persuing 

"Yo duke, I need this dope so we can step to this party" 

But we can all mardi grati 

Minus that shit in our body 

"What that got to do with that" 

'Cause kid that's the essence, 

your physical presence 

embodies every lesson 

You can't run the Rolls Royce if the engine is busted. 

Can't even life the knife to cut the mustard. 

What we need to do first 

Now listen to this verse 

Let's concentrate on our spiritual plate. 

Recognize your existence in this vast blue space 

From a tiny cloud of blood 

To the human beings with taste, sight, touch, smell 

and sound 

Let's deem it profound! 

And prioritize this cause it was Allah's wish 

"Allah? I'm God" 

"No I ddon't believe that. That's a mystery" 

"If God is so good why does shit be happening to me?" 

There's divinity within 

because we come from the divine 

A force that's not seen But yo we feel it every time 

When the wind blows, and the earth turns, 

and the rain drops, and the babies cry

and the birds fly, and the grounds quake, 

and the stars gleam, yo 

So many things are evidence of its existence 

What we need to do is link it with persistence,

hear me out, yo

Once we recognize that, we can move ahead 

Native Tongues, Common Sense yo he's Hip-Hop bred... 

Common: 

From the spiritual world my former life has developed 

First person I lost close to me was Stella 

Some of my mellows 

Lost their mothers and their brothers 

For them I feel empathy 

But I ain't pouring out fuckin' Hennessee

I pour my heart out when I see Dot out on the deck 

Knowing two weeks ago he slapped-boxed with death 

I hear of niggas dying in the wind and on the news 

But when it's somebody you know it hits you 

and emotions get bruised 

I ain't been in your shoes, 

I won't judge you for knocking 

Because the spirit of the ghetto says "You Gotta!" 

They snatch you again from rock flippin' 

Give back into the neighborhood, you better start kickin' 

Stickin' stores 

On the strip 

I'm tired of Arabs giving me my change back 

Devil bomb my yesterday 

My tomorrow he never gave back 

I lay back, looking at the ceiling 

Wondering what can I do 

So my homie won't have to be dealing 

Not cause you serving and I'm rapping I'm better 

Just different pieces to the puzzle of black life 

That we gotta put together, to better ourselves 

cause families we gotta raise 

No matter how long the money 

Shorter become the days 

Men become like women 

and no difference in the season 

If you got popped five times 

You breathing for a reason 

Let's put this five, ten year come-up plan in progression 

Before we count our papers 

Count our blessings