"Sons Of Gotham" lyrics
Gotham (Talib Kweli & Diamond D) Lyrics
Empire State rap, yeah
New York City
Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens
Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island (Yo, yo)
From the start though, darker than a episode of Narcos
Be smart, don't follow the rabbit like Donnie Darko
It's Brooklyn, my niggas rock more Polo than Marco
We keep our queens laced, more shoes than Imelda Marcos
Keep a mean face like, "You don't want no problems"
Too many rap niggas be talking to the 5-0
They leaking more secrets than Trump at the Mar-a-Lago
We on code like Fred Hampton out of Chicago
Free the land, free the man
To feed the fam, we jumping on the Peter Pan
We'll meet again 'cause I don't need you if you don't see the plan
I been doin' this since 1992 (C'mon)
At The Building and Jarobi had to sneak us in, me, Rubiks and JuJu
Listening to L-Swift, A-Butta and Mr. Voodoo
On Stretch and Bobbito that Natural Elements was the jam, man
Yo, yo
Make 'em live for Diamond D specifically
Now you was hatin', money, keep the same energy (Keep the same energy)
Ayo, it's tragic how these men spill they guts in my lane
They just bugs on the windshield (Splat)
Going splat on the highway
MAGA hat rappers out here acting like Kanye
But you ain't made "Jesus Walks", nigga
But y'all ain't ready for that discussion, c'mon
The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated
I refuse to just die and it's makin' 'em aggravated, plus
Ain't nobody more consistent than me
I'm the rapper your favorite rap niggas wish they could be, facts
I drop a name so I could toss 'em a bone
You on your own, we don't speak, just put your boss on the phone, nigga
On second thought, you ain't nothing but a succubus
I'd say your name if niggas knew who the fuck you was (Crickets)
I see you roll with a nigga I used to fuck with
So to whom it may concern (Yep)
You went from "we will not tolerate" to duck lips
Seem like to me you tolerate a bunch of fuck shit
I put you on my album 'cause I'm for the culture
But when it's time to hold me down, you prove you for the vultures
And all these journalists be clout chasing
I pull out them receipts and watch 'em all start about-facing
Battle who? I'm already Kweli, nigga
An architect of hip hop, I'm a key figure
I gotta pretend I'm not me to make you feel more comfortable about being you? Please, nigga
Respect the longevity
I'm a lion, you hyenas, better ask Sway and Heather B
Mad at my tweets 'cause you worship a celebrity
You think that you in charge of my time and my energy ('Fore that)
I'm not your motherfucking slave
Before that, you'll find me in the motherfucking grave ('Fore that)
We ain't cool, we just industry friends
You fake as Jonah Hill was in This Is the End (This Is the End)
How I'm supposed to be a humble rapper
While they calling mumble rappers the GOAT? Y'all niggas hustle backwards
I wrote the book on rap and this just another chapter
Who the next Kweli? Nobody coming after
Make 'em live for Diamond D specifically
Now you was hatin', money, keep the same energy (Same energy)
Ayo, it's tragic how these men spill they guts in my lane
They just bugs on the windshield (Splat)
Going splat on the highway
MAGA hat rappers out here acting like Kanye (You seen it, right?)
But you ain't made "Jesus Walks", nigga
You just an employee talking to boss niggas
New York City
Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens
Manhattan, Staten Island, Long Island (Yo, yo)
From the start though, darker than a episode of Narcos
Be smart, don't follow the rabbit like Donnie Darko
It's Brooklyn, my niggas rock more Polo than Marco
We keep our queens laced, more shoes than Imelda Marcos
Keep a mean face like, "You don't want no problems"
Too many rap niggas be talking to the 5-0
They leaking more secrets than Trump at the Mar-a-Lago
We on code like Fred Hampton out of Chicago
Free the land, free the man
To feed the fam, we jumping on the Peter Pan
We'll meet again 'cause I don't need you if you don't see the plan
I been doin' this since 1992 (C'mon)
At The Building and Jarobi had to sneak us in, me, Rubiks and JuJu
Listening to L-Swift, A-Butta and Mr. Voodoo
On Stretch and Bobbito that Natural Elements was the jam, man
Yo, yo
Make 'em live for Diamond D specifically
Now you was hatin', money, keep the same energy (Keep the same energy)
Ayo, it's tragic how these men spill they guts in my lane
They just bugs on the windshield (Splat)
Going splat on the highway
MAGA hat rappers out here acting like Kanye
But you ain't made "Jesus Walks", nigga
But y'all ain't ready for that discussion, c'mon
The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated
I refuse to just die and it's makin' 'em aggravated, plus
Ain't nobody more consistent than me
I'm the rapper your favorite rap niggas wish they could be, facts
I drop a name so I could toss 'em a bone
You on your own, we don't speak, just put your boss on the phone, nigga
On second thought, you ain't nothing but a succubus
I'd say your name if niggas knew who the fuck you was (Crickets)
I see you roll with a nigga I used to fuck with
So to whom it may concern (Yep)
You went from "we will not tolerate" to duck lips
Seem like to me you tolerate a bunch of fuck shit
I put you on my album 'cause I'm for the culture
But when it's time to hold me down, you prove you for the vultures
And all these journalists be clout chasing
I pull out them receipts and watch 'em all start about-facing
Battle who? I'm already Kweli, nigga
An architect of hip hop, I'm a key figure
I gotta pretend I'm not me to make you feel more comfortable about being you? Please, nigga
Respect the longevity
I'm a lion, you hyenas, better ask Sway and Heather B
Mad at my tweets 'cause you worship a celebrity
You think that you in charge of my time and my energy ('Fore that)
I'm not your motherfucking slave
Before that, you'll find me in the motherfucking grave ('Fore that)
We ain't cool, we just industry friends
You fake as Jonah Hill was in This Is the End (This Is the End)
How I'm supposed to be a humble rapper
While they calling mumble rappers the GOAT? Y'all niggas hustle backwards
I wrote the book on rap and this just another chapter
Who the next Kweli? Nobody coming after
Make 'em live for Diamond D specifically
Now you was hatin', money, keep the same energy (Same energy)
Ayo, it's tragic how these men spill they guts in my lane
They just bugs on the windshield (Splat)
Going splat on the highway
MAGA hat rappers out here acting like Kanye (You seen it, right?)
But you ain't made "Jesus Walks", nigga
You just an employee talking to boss niggas
