[Produced by Kanye West]
[Intro: Common]
Uh, uh, uh, yeah
Uh, uh, uh, uh-uh-uh, yeah
Uh, uh, uh, uh-uh-uh, yeah
[Verse 1: Common]
I open my eyes, the corner's like African tribes
The blackest of thighs, a black enterprise where passionate rise
The youth fantasize with grass and cash in they eyes
A youth dies, and momma's asking, rationalize
Tryna build a spot where ghetto bastards could rise
The ghetto's been bastardized by those that capitalize
Wonder if it's a plan that the Master devised
To bring His people to a land where Blacks are despised
To actualize scripture, the rich are getting richer
The younger becoming thicker, summer's becoming winter
Hard times, hard liquor, link cards and God figures
There's Romans in Caprices, with pieces, to scar niggas
The corner's our picture, in motion, it stars niggas
Emotions of those that be smoking like Todd Bridges
These are our bridges, from nothing to something
That's why on every city block, you hear them pumpin'
The corner
[Chorus: Kanye West]
I wish I could give you this feeling
I wish I could give this feeling, uh-uh, uh-uh uh
On the corners, niggas robbin', killin', dying
Just to make a living – huh?!
[Spoken Word: The Last Poets]
We overstated, we underrated, we educated
The corner was our time,
When time stood still in
Gators and snakeskins, in
Yellow and pink, and
Collared blue profiles glorifying them
[Verse 2: Scarface]
On the corner, the birthplace of various dreams
The ending of the beginning, the scariest thing
As we survive here to die here, whatever we seen
We accept it, live with it, or better the scheme
On the corner, the backdrop for hustling crack rock
The spot where the 'Lac stops to issue the packs out
There's money on the corner, you'd be stupid to pass up
Remember there's a code, and if it's broken, we blast ya
There's Crips on the corner, Bloods on the corner
GDs and Vice Lords, so it's thugs on the corner
There's children having fun, so it's love on the corner
OGs with triple beams, hold they drugs on the corner
There's cops on the corner (Uh)
Dope fiends that walk around in they socks is on the corner
But I love 'em, so I'm on 'em
It's life on the corner, death on the corner
We fight until our very last breath on the corner
Corner – yeah
[Chorus: Kanye West]
I wish I could give you this feeling
I wish I could give this feeling, uh-uh, uh-uh uh
On the corners, niggas robbin', killin', dying
Just to make a living – huh?!
[Spoken Word: The Last Poets, (Yasiin Bey)]
The corner was our magic,
Our music,
Our politics
Fires raised, as
Tribal dances and war cries (Brooklyn!)
Broke out on different corners
Power to the people
Black power!
Black is beautiful
[Verse 3: Yasiin Bey]
(The corner, man!) C-O-R-N-E-R
My nigga, it's the corner, every city block got 4 of 'em (Uh-huh)
It's simple math, something jumping off on all them (Now, break it down)
The church, the chicken shack, the liquor store, the dope house
The bail bond, the nail salon, the barber shop, the courthouse (Whoa!)
The youngin' blowing that smoke out, he hi-fi
They're "'bout it, 'bout it," no power outage for live wires
The block wired, and shots fired, from hot irons
A cold world, full of hot summers and loud sirens (Woo)
The 'caine slangers, and gangbangers, and lane-changers (Ha)
Elders anxiety-prone, they're Reagan's teenagers
They whispering, "Man, you can't change him, the streets raised him"
They on the block like they ain't neighbors, they straight strangers
Grandmama hit me with three words: "Son, keep praying"
This shorty hit me with three more, "Son, keep blazing"
They're both deep statements, from two unique places
Real forever real, and I just love to hear the streets say it
Corners!
[Chorus: Kanye West]
I wish I could give you this feeling
I wish I could give this feeling, uh-uh, uh-uh uh
On the corners, niggas robbin', killin', dying
Just to make a living – huh?!
[Spoken Word: The Last Poets]
The corner was our Rock of Gibraltar, our Stonehenge
Our Taj Mahal, our monument
Our testimonial to freedom, to peace, and to love
Down on the corner