[Nas:] "This ain't for everybody. Y'all know who y'all are

Yeah you, y'all know who y'all are. These are our heroes."



[Chorus: Nas]

Let's hear it, one for the coons on UPN 9 and WB

Who 'Yes Massa' on TV, what ever happened to Wheezy? The Red Fox's?

Never got Emmy's but were real to me

Let's hear it, two for the spooks who do cartwheels

'Cause they said they played they parts well

Now they claim caviar, hate that oxtail

Lambda Sigma Phi badge on lapel

Whitey always tell him, "Ooh, he speak so well"

Are you the one we look to, the decent Negro?

The acceptable Negro -- hell nah

But they say, "These are our heroes"



[Verse 1: Nas]

Uh, Massa used to breed us to be bigger to go play

Athletes of today in the NBA, make me proud

But there's somethin' they don't say

Keep gettin' accused for abusin' White pussay

From OJ to Kobe, uh let's call him Tobe

First he played his life cool just like Michael

Now he rock ice too just like I do

Yo, you can't do better than that?

The hotel clerk who adjusts the bathroom mat?

Now you lose sponsorships that you thought had your back

Yeah, you beat the rap jiggaboo, fake nigga you

You turn around then you shit on Shaq

Who woulda knew, Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes

He love a little butt crack, got enough cash

Little kids with they bus pass who look up to you

To do something for the youth, stupid spoof

But you let them use you as an example

They would rep, but our heroes got they hands full



[Chorus]



[Verse 2: Nas]

You Homey The Clown, bowtie, apple pie, Bo Jangles

But we love Bo Jangles, we know what he came through

But what's your excuse, duke? You talk Black

but your album sound like you give your nuts for a plaque

You don't ride for the facts like um, say Scarface

You don't know what you feel, y'all too safe

Election done came and went, y'all worked so hard for it

Huh, and in the end we all got dicked

These are our heroes, thanks a lot public school systems still rot

Still harassed by cops, snitches on blocks

Sellin they peoples out - some real folks with clout

Tavis Smiley, Michael Eric Dyson

Stokely Carmichael, let's try to be like them

Nicky Giovanni poetical black female

Jim Brown to the people who sing well from

Fela to Miriam Makeba

The mirror says you are the next American leader

So don't be, acceptin new 'We are the World' records

These pickaninnies get with anything to sell records

Cause it's trendy to be the conscious MC

But next year, who knows what we'll see?

Ha-Ha, these are our heroes



[Chorus]



[Nas:] "Yeah, I wanna give a special shoutout to the -- y'know

the crew doin' they thing out there reppin' us hard

Big up to Tiger Woods.  Yeah, ya don't stop.  Big up

to Cuba Gooding Jr.  Y'know, yeah, y'know.  Tay Diggs

what up my nigga.  Yeah, ha-ha.  And you don't quit

and ya don't quit, and ya don't stop and ya don't quit."



[Male Heckler:] "Yeah-Yeah, what you doin' for the hood though

homie? What you doin' for the hood, man? Look at

all that paper.  Drivin' around like a playboy in

my hood.  What type of shit is that?"



[overlapping dialogue]



[Nas:] "I'm outta here.  Please, excuse me, 'xcuse me -- please

Let me get to my limousine, I'm outta here.  I know, I

got a plane to catch.  And I love you back.  Ha-Ha

yeah yeah -- And I'm outta here.  A-ha-ha -- PEACE."



[Thug Heckler:] "Come on nigga, give back to the hood.  Cocky

motherfucker!"