[Interlude]
America,✦ America,✦ AmeriKa-Ka-Ka
I charge you with the crime of rape, murder,✦ and assault
For suppressing and punishing my people
I charge you with robbery for robbing me of my history✦
I charge you with false imprisonment for keeping me trapped in the projects
And the jury✦ finds you guilty✦ on all accounts
And you are to serve the consequences for your evil✦ schemes
Prosecutor, do you have any✦ more evidence?✦
[Verse 2]
Words of wisdom✦ based✦ upon✦ the strength of a nation✦
Conquer the enemy✦ armed✦ with education
Protect yourself, reach for what you wanna✦ do
Know thyself, teach by what we've been through
Armed✦ with the knowledge of the place we've been
No one will ever✦ oppress this race again✦
No Malcolm X in my history✦ text, why's that?
'Cause he tried to educate✦ and liberate✦ all Blacks
Why is Martin✦ Luther✦ King in my book each week?
He told Blacks, if they get smacked, turn the other✦ cheek
I don't get it, so many✦ questions✦ went through my mind
I get sweated, they act like asking✦ questions✦ a crime
But forget✦ it, 'cause one day I'ma✦ prove them wrong
Not every✦ brother✦ had his mother✦ on the welfare✦ line
The American Dream, though it seems like it's attainable
They're pulling✦ your sleeve, don't believe, 'cause it'll strangle ya
Pulling✦ the life of your brain, I can't explain
Beg as you can obtain✦ from which you came
You swear to your mother✦ that you living✦ in equality
Forgetting your brother✦ that's living✦ here in poverty
Thought they had us beaten✦ when they took out King
But the battle ain't over✦ 'til the Black man sings, words of wisdom✦
The battle ain't over✦ 'til the Black man sings, words of wisdom✦
[Outro]
Nightmare,✦ that's what I am
America's✦ nightmare✦
I am what you made me
The hate and the evil✦ that you gave me
I shine as a reminder of what you've done to my people for four hundred plus years
You should be scared,✦ you should be running
You should be trying to silence✦ me
Ha, but you cannot escape✦ fate
For it is my turn to come
Just as you rose, you will fall
By my hands
America,✦ you reap what you sow
2Pacalypse, America's✦ nightmare✦
Ice Cube and Da Lench Mob, America's✦ nightmare✦
Above✦ The Law, America's✦ nightmare✦
Paris,✦ America's✦ nightmare✦
Public Enemy,✦ America's✦ nightmare✦
KRS-One, America's✦ nightmare✦
New Afrikan Panthers, America's✦ nightmare✦
Mutulu✦ Shakur,✦ America's✦ nightmare✦
Geronimo Pratt, America's✦ nightmare✦
Assata✦ Shakur,✦ America's✦ nightmare✦
Et cetera,✦ et cetera,✦ et cetera✦