[Ice Cube]

Now is the time...

C'mon y'all



Stand tall, live your life to the limit

Cause haterism seem like a fucking epidemic

And look at Ice Cube, I ain't no gimmick

I'm straight from the hood, I got to represent it

Now - every day I think about my color

And all the crazy shit we do to one another

I ain't your blood brother, but I'm your cuz brother

Let's take it back to the love and how it was brother

If not, we gon' pull these triggers

Show the world we deserve to be called niggaz

I make a fuck-up, like Don Imus

bow on his knees, and call me yo' highness

You can too, you got the power to

Don't let this motherfuckin system devour you

I won't pretend, or act like I'm knowin you

But check it out I understand what you goin through



[Chorus: sung from samples]

But remember, brothers and sisters

You can still, stand, tall

Just be thankful...

For what you got



[Ice Cube]

I know what y'all motherfuckers thinking, heh heh

Here comes another rapper with a song about hope

All you wanna hear is a song about dope

And how a nigga got mo' money than the Pope

But he'll never tell you when he drop the soap

No~! Ice Cube is here to drop you a note

Cause some of our folk used to hang from ropes

And some of our people used to hang from trees

Now the only thing hangin muh'fucker is DEEZ

So, get your mind right, and I'ma rhyme right

Fuck the limelight, and a blind dyke

I'm the sunlight, too bright to look

When it's all said and done I should write the book

You too cool for school, too old to know?

Get your ass off the grassroots and let 'em grow

I understand, it ain't no love lost

But little kids, it ain't no Santa Claus



[Chorus]



[Ice Cube]

Yeah, f'real

I was born in the mud but I came out clean

That's 'til the government tried to intervene

Tried to lock me up when I was only 19

Don't never ever ever let 'em kill your dream

I make shit raw that piss off the law

If you want some fake shit turn this off

If you want some realness I know you can feel this

Maybe we can heal this just like an illness

Black on black, I got'cho back

People don't think that we know how to act

Just because our neighborhood is filled with crack

And the CIA, won't take it back

Never on top, always on the bottom

Never put your trust in Hillary Rodham

Cause I can tell you now it's gon' turn out rotten

Keep on pushin, get 'em 'til we got 'em



[Chorus]



[Ice Cube]

Stand up, f'real...

Raise your hand if you sick of this bullshit

Heh, in the belly of the evil empire [fades]