"New National Anthem" lyrics - T.I.
[Intro: T.I.]
I know radio prolly ain't gonna play this
But chopper going off in the hood man like Afghanistan
Or the Gaza strip somewhere man
Yeah, we hear it so much we probably numb to it by now
After all, it's the American way right?
[Hook: Skyler Grey]
Home of the brave and free
Free just to murder me
Land of the beautiful
Cursed by the hate we throw
Is this the new national anthem?
Is this the new national anthem?
[Interlude: T.I.]
It's America, land of the handgun
Home of the shotgun
You're dead if you ain't got one
It was like this before I got here, baby I ain't do it!
I ain't start it, I'm just a part of it
Turn it!
[Verse 1: T.I.]
You say this the home of the brave I guess
I say this the home of the K's and the vets
All alone with the J's smoking yay 'cause he stressed
On chrome with a Tek taught to spray for respect
I learned from the best used to stay in the "jects"
Bought work from the vets burning rubber in the 'Vettes
This as good as it gets used to play with the rats
Then I got older and learned stay away from the rats
God blessed this nigga, to hustle up and make eight figures
Turned from a goon to a great young nigga
No complaining just doing what it take young nigga
I was raised in a decade of hate young nigga
Always dodging polices because they hate young niggas
And we hate them too, 38 in him shoe
All the changes the system will take him through
He ain't a killer but he will if you make him do it
Homicide he'll ride, they'll put him on trial
Let him have a life sentence then do it with a smile
And he only 19, he ain't even had a child
As a child, told his mama he'll be gone for a while
And she cried, still they just put him inside
Now she all on her own because her other son died
Listen to the politician as he lied and he lied
He a snake in a suit, trying to hide in disguise
[Hook: Skyler Grey]
Home of the brave and free
Free just to murder me
Land of the beautiful
Cursed by the hate we throw
Is this the new national anthem?
Is this the new national anthem?
[Interlude: T.I.]
Well damn officer, what did I do?
Naw hold up man, don't shoot, I live over there
Ay, man what you doing? You trippin, dawg
How many times has that ever happened to you?
What the fuck do you know about being a black man in America?
And you wonder why we walk around with straps
[Verse 2: T.I.]
For the stars and the stripes prison bars and the pipe
Young nigga rolling weed in a cigar he can light
Bang red either blue selling hard and the white
Live by the gun, never run from a fight
Trayvon in a hoodie, walking through the neighborhood he
Didn't do shit to buddy, he didn't have to die did he?
I guess it's because his dad was a judge in the city
They didn't want him in the pen with the thugs that could get him
A jury of his peers said all was forgiven
But touch one of mine, right or wrong, I'ma kill them
Fill them with the lead like they put in Martin Luther King's head
Like they killed Malcolm X, Edgar Hoover did that
You can catch me in the hood where they shooting niggas at
They don't know if Neighborhood or the Hoovers did that
Whether Piru or VL's or GDs wit me we
Down to uprise from the OG's to peewees
[Hook: Skyler Grey]
Home of the brave and free
Free just to murder me
Land of the beautiful
Cursed by the hate we throw
Is this the new national anthem?
Is this the new national anthem?
[Interlude: T.I.]
Don't get it fucked up
If you ain't found something you're willing to die for
You ain't fit to live
To get something you've never had
You must be willing to do something you've never done
I'ma die by mine
[Interlude: T.I.]
Let me ask you something, if the kids are the future
Tell me why you can get more for being C.O. than you can for being a teacher?
Tell me why it means more to the government to pay the people
Who got to watch over the prisoners more than the people
Who got to keep the children from becoming prisoners? That make sense?
Tell me why 9 ounces of crack will get you more time than a rape right now?
Tell me why them crazy white boys can tote a gun but I can't right now?
Yeah I had felonies, I done did dirt in the streets
But I ain't ever gave it to anybody that didn't deserve it
You know what I mean?
I ain't ever ran in no public place with no pistol shooting no innocent people
I ain't never ran in no school, killing no kids
Man this is the result of you refusing to deal with the issues at hand
We are a product of the environment you placed us in
We ain't do it, we just lived through it
[Hook: Skyler Grey]
Home of the brave and free
Free just to murder me
Land of the beautiful
Cursed by the hate we throw
Is this the new national anthem?
Is this the new national anthem?
[Interlude: T.I.]
Message to my people
Stop waiting on folk to help you, help yourself, it starts with you
Get yourself out, reach back, get somebody else out
And that's the way we're going to get ahead
Sitting around waiting on government to do something for us
Ain't never gonna happen partner, they don't give a fuck about us
But don't play into their hand partner, you making it easy for em
Hell is you doing?
