Dead Ni**a Blvd. (Pt. 1) (Album Version) - MeShell Ndegeocello

You sell your soul like you sell a piece of a**

Slave to the dead white leaders on paper

Welfare cases rapists and hoes

All reinforced by your TV show

Exotic and beautiful videos

Yeah a jail's a sanctuary for the walking dead

F**ks with your head when every black leader ends up dead

Somebody said Our greatest destiny is to become white

But white is not pure and hate is not pride

Just 'cause civil rights is law doesn't mean that we all abide

Tell me are you free Campaign for every dead ni**a boulevard

So y'all young motherf**kers can drive down it in your fancy cars

Free try to hold on to some Africa of the past

One must remember it's other Africans that helped enslave your a**

Everybody's just trying to make that dollar

Remember what Jesse used to say I am somebody

No longer do I blame others for the way that we be

'Cause niggas need to redefine what it means to be free

I can't even tell my brothers and sisters that they're fine

This absence of beauty in their heart and mind

Stopped breastfeeding the child you put 'em on the cow

And now you wonder why they act wild

You see brown folks are the keepers of the earth

Unifiers of the soul and mind

Not these wannabe gaudy pimps and thugs

Wearing diamond watches from African slave mines

Perhaps to be free is to all love those who hate me

And die a beautiful death and make pretty brown babies

Campaign for every dead ni**a boulevard

So y'all young motherf**kers can drive down it in your fancy cars

Try to hold on to some Africa of the past

One must remember it's other Africans that helped enslave your a**

Everybody's trying to make that dollar

Remember what Jesse used to say I am somebody

No longer do I blame others for the way that we be

Niggas need to redefine what it means to be free

Campaign for every dead ni**a boulevard

So y'all young motherf**kers can drive down it in your fancy cars

Try to hold on to some Africa of the past

One must remember it's other Africans that helped enslave your a**

Everybody's trying to make that dollar

Remember what Jesse used to say I am somebody

No longer do I blame white folks for the way that we be

Niggas need to redefine what it means to be free

Understand young folks

When you put property rights ahead of human rights

Understand you're tampering with nature

That's right you see property rights is controlled by man

And human rights is controlled by nature