[Intro: Malcolm X sample (singer)]

And you don't know what's happening

'Cause someone has taught you to suffer peacefully

The white man do the same thing to you in the street

Where he don't wanna put knots on your head

And take advantage of you

And don't have to be afraid of you fighting back

To keep you from fighting back he get you these religious Uncle Toms

(God bless my momma)

To teach you and me that just like Novacane

Suffer peacefully, don't stop suffering, just suffer peacefully

(God bless my momma)

[Verse 1]

I once said that my life was a work of art

Couple strokes on a blank canvas to hurt the heart

Had a brush with death before I could learn to talk

The painting's on the wall, don't wait for the verse to start

You people could view it all

When the weapon's out you would hope that I knew to draw

Tried to frame me for a case that they knew was lost

Guess I was too involved

Hire a sketchy lawyer that claimed that he knew the law, huh

And through it all I remained to be energetic

Built a beautiful mind out of thoughts that are esoteric, hey

I say hot shit like the Devil said it

I may not trip 'cause I'm level headed

Could never worship a book if I've never read it

Pardon me, that's kind of abstract, act like I never said it

Here's the twist, when this nigga lock in, bet they gon' dread it

Just forget it, I'm over ya heads, huh, I'm close to the ledge

[Chorus]

Masterpiece

If I would die tragically

Then you would see the craft in me, it's a masterpiece

All these artists ain't half of me

'Cause I do this shit masterfully, it's a masterpiece

Huh, a masterpiece

[Verse 2]

Let me paint...

Picture me hiding behind a verse

No days off when it's time to supply the work

Thoughts of them old folks dying inside a church

That's why I spend it all

'Cause you never see a U-Haul riding behind a hearse

You can't take it with you when lying inside the dirt

In a room full of snakes, beware of the liars first

The jealous ones next, but most of 'em die of thirst

When it comes to the naked truth, I address the entire earth, huh

It's the wild wild west, and I'm Wyatt Earp

I could try my best, but am I the first?

I defied my death, but I might be cursed

So in death, I'm still born like a baby who died at birth, huh

You can Google and try and search

But the shit that I speak about got them people on high alert

Some people want Trump dead

But it's bigger than Hip-Hop, I believe in a dead Pres'

I believe in a dead Pres', yeah

[Chorus]

Masterpiece

If I would die tragically

Then you would see the craft in me, it's a masterpiece

All these artists ain't half of me

'Cause I do this shit masterfully

It's a masterpiece, a masterpiece