Liberation

By OutKast

On Aquemini

Released on September 29, 1998

167K Views

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[Verse 1: André 3000]

There's a— there's a— there's a— there's a fine line

Too late, but baby, I'm on it, yeah, yeah, yeah (Yo, yo, uh-huh)

There's a fine line between love and hate, you see

Came way too late but, baby, I'm on it

There's a fine line between love and hate, you see

Came way too late but, baby, I'm on it

Can't worry 'bout what a nigga think

Now see, that's liberation and, baby, I want it

Can't worry 'bout what another nigga think

Now that's liberation and, baby, I want it

(Lemme hear it, lemme hear it, lemme though, lemme hear it)


[Verse 2: Big Boi]

How many times I sit back and contemplate?

I'm fresh off the dank but I'm tellin' my story

My relationship with my folks is give-and-take

And I done took so much, now give me my glory

To have a choice to be who you wants to be

It's left up-a to me and my mama n'em told me (Yes, she did)

I say, to have a choice to be who you wants to be

It's left up-a to me and my mama n'em told me


[Verse 3: Cee-Lo Green]

No, no, no (Ah)

I'm so tired, it's been so long struggling

Hopelessly settling for the day (Hey)

Oh, I sacrifice every breath I breathe

To make you believe I'd give my life away

Oh, Lord, I'm so tired, I'm so tired (Tired)

My feet feel like I walked most of the road on my own (Own)

All on my own (Yeah)

We alive but we ain't livin', that's why I'm givin' until it's gone

'Cause I don't wanna be alone (I don't wanna be alone)

I don't wanna be alone (Yeah) (No, no, no)

If anything I can say to help you find your way

Touch your soul, make it whole, the same for you and I

There's not a minute that goes by that I don't believe we could fly

But I can feel it in the wind, beginning or the end

But people, keep your head to the sky


[Refrain: Joi & Peaches]

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off

Shake that load off, shake that load off


[Verse 4: Erykah Badu]

Folk in your face, you're a superstar

Niggas hang around 'cause of who you are

You get a lot of love 'cause of what you got

Say they happy for you but they really not

Sell a lot of records and you roll a Benz

Swoll up in the spot, now you losing friends

All you wanna do is give the world your heart

Record label tried to make you compromise your art

You make a million dollars, make a million mo'

First class broad treat you like a nigga po'

You wanna say "Wait!" but you're scared to ask

As your world starts spinning and it's moving fast

Tryna stay sane is the price of fame

Spending your life tryna numb the pain

You shake that load off and sing your song

Liberate the minds, then you go on home


[Outro: Big Rube]

I must admit, they planted a lot of things

In the brains and the veins of my strain

Makes it hard to refrain, from the host of cocaine

From them whores, from the flame

From a post in the game

Makes it hard to maintain focus

They're from the Glock rounds, and lockdowns, and burials

The seeds that sow, get devoured by the same locusts

'Cause it's a hard row to hoe

If your ass don't move, and the rain don't fall

And the ground just dry

But the roots are strong, so some survive

To your surprise, now I voice their cries

You got more juice than Zeus

Slangin' lightnin' tryin' to frighten

Plains dwellers of the Serengeti

But get beheaded when you falsely dreaded

Melanin, silicone and collagen injected

Dissectin' my pride — who the one gon' get it started?

We be the lionhearted, without infanticide

It's like that red sprite, you can't imagine it

Unless you lookin' at the canvas of life

Not through the peephole of mortality

Single-minded mentality

Gettin' over on loopholes

Gettin' paid two-fold on technicalities

Clickin' your heels but scared to voice how you feel

Packing steel

Pickin' cotton from the killing fields with no toe, though

I don't think we in Kansas no mo' though

Midwest or Dirty South

Clean dressed or dirty mouth

Whether robbin' preachers or killin' Poor Righteous Teachers

You a scared demon

Shouldn't be allowed to spread semen

And you cowardly lions never defyin' the jackals of Babel

Runnin' with they pack, tail between your legs

Though the mane on your head say the story

As you downplay your glory

Cacklin', helpin' the shacklin' of your brethren happening

Just by rappin'

Libertad