[Chorus: Common & Kanye West]

And ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Ye-yeah, and ya— ya say Chi— Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

(City— City—)

[Verse 1: Common]

I rap with the passion of Christ, nigga, cross me

Took it out of space and niggas thought they lost me

I'm back like a chiroprac' with b-boy survival rap

It ain't ninety-fo', Joe, we can't go back

The game need a makeover

My man retired, I'ma takeover

Tell these halftime niggas break's over

I'm raw, hustlas, get your baking soda

Too many rape the culture

Leave rappers with careers and they faith over

It's a war goin' on, you can't fake bein' a soldier

In the basement, listening to tapes of Ultra-

Magnetic, to the fact the messiah is black

I'll turn the TV down, we can take it higher than that

I wonder if these whack niggas realize they whack

And they the reason that my people say they tired of rap

Inspired by black Muslims and Christians

Pushin' cutlasses, dope, and other traditions

In the conditions of the city, the city

The city, the city, the city, the city

Come on

[Chorus: Common & Kanye West]

And ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and ya s— s— say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, say— say— say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

[Verse 2: Common]

A black figure, in the middle with chaos and gunfire

So many raps about rims, surprised niggas ain't become tires

On the street, you turn cold and then go screech

I tell 'em "Fuck 'em" like I do to police

The beast is runnin' rampant

I'm in between sheets tryin' to have sex that's tantric

For the ghetto, tryin' to make a get-up stand-up anthem

You spit hot garbage, son of Sanford

What you rappin' for, to get fame or get rich?

I slap a nigga like you, and tell him "Rick James bitch!"

With your Hollywood stories, on porches

We polly hood stories about who became rich

And whatever light they hit, we wanna hit the same switch

You didn't know where to aim it, you still remain bitch

I'm forever puttin' words together

Some'll sever mothers from daughters and fathers from sons

The name Com', has never been involved wit' run

Unless it's DMC, or runnin' these broads to bein' free

I'm harder than the times, you hardly scary

Holdin' gats inside, you cats is Halle Berry

They ask me where hip-hop is goin', it's Chicago-in

Poetry's in motion like a picture now showin'

It's the city, the city, y'all

The city (Uh)

The city, y'all, come on

[Chorus: Common & Kanye West]

And ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and ya s— say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and ya— and ya— and ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, yeah, say— say— say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, ye—, yeah, yeah, yeah, and ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, ye-ye-yeah, and ya say Chi-City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and ya— say— Chi— City

We don't stop, naw, we don't quit

Yeah, and-and-and-and-and-and-and, and ya say Chi-City

[Outro: Common]

Common Sense, from the city of wind