The Roots Follow

[Chorus]

Oooh

It's been a long time

Since I been back around the way

It's been a long time

Let it spin let spin let it spin

Since I been back around your way

It's been a long time

Long time long time

[Black Thought]

Struck by the luck of the draw

Real life preservation

What I'm hustling for

My name black thought

The definition of raw

I was born in South Philly

On a cement floor

I had nothing at all

Had to knuckle and brawl

They swore I'd fall

Be another brick in the wall

Another life

Full of love

That lost

That's silly

This Philly

Y'all really ain't stoppin

The boy with the pen

Like Willie

On top of the hall

Pure soul is what the city

Most popular for

Hear the tones

That will ease you

Smooth

As Bunny Sigler's soundtrack

Keepin your head boppin and all

It's something in the water

Where I come from

They used to sing it on the corner

Where I come from

Making somethin outta nothing

Because everybody fifty cents

From a quarter

Where I come from

Yeah

The streets ain't timid

But I feel at home in it

Gotta see a couple people

I ain't got at

In a minute

Yeah

You can take a brother outta South Philly

Can't take it outta him really

I forever represent it

And it's

[Chorus]

[Peedi Peedi]

Live and dirvet

I don't need no mic check

Remember mommy told me

You ain't write that

It started in the bathroom taking a dump

Listening to Ultramagnetic

Ego tripping you won't

Pressure my word

I'm the urban vision

Of you chump

Stomped on a different ground

Sound second to none

Synthesizers tweet

To improvise your feet

I calculated every lyric to arrive on a beat

It's free

Come get high on me

Before a nine millimeter shell

Hit my pelle pelle

In the p

Yeah

It's somethin in the water

Where I come from

They used to sing it on the corner

Where I come from

Making somethin outta nothing

Because everybody

Fifty cents from a quarter

Yo

Where I come from

It's just a natural reaction

For crack to make it happen

Let the pen ink sink

Into the paper of the pad

Think back

When I was younger

Ghetto could have took me under

Young Peedi can't mess with North Philly

Never had

You don't know about me

You ain't stroll my streets

Look familiar

I feel ya

Longtime no see

[Chorus]

[Black Thought]

Uhh

Clap somethin

But whatever you clap

Clap to the record spinnin

While I'm takin you back

To the top paper era

Baby big on that

Picture the pool room

Where the money getters was at

And street people

With feather in the cap

Or their bossolino Pullin paper

As if it's a small casino

I was a young boy

Sweepin the floors

And runnin to stores

But all those old heads

Woudl talk to me About the way

To clutch the eagle

On a buck and truck

And if I'm down

How to get back up

Just survival kid

And it's a struggle worldwide

I'm positive

Shit the ghetto might as well

Be the Gaza Strip

You know where all the monsters is

Street walkers

You don't see no consciousness I'm coming back to where

The core of the problem is

We on the job again

Y'all know what time it is

[Chorus]