[Verse 1: Ghostface Killah]

The technique is ill, son

Watch how I spill one

Peace to Biggie, 2Pac, Big L, and Big Pun

Havoc on the streets of Staten –

Snitches, house niggas, children watch as they produce the same patternin'

Somebody raped our women, murdered our babies

Hit us with the cracks and guns in the early '80s

For those that murdered me shall stand before God

To fall at the hands of fate; then, out comes the rod!

[Interlude: Ghostface Killah]

Bring it back, bring it back, bring it back, bring it back, bring it back...

[Verse 2: Ghostface Killah]

What the fuck is going on? I can't go to sleep

Feds jumping out their Jeeps, I can't go to sleep

Babies with flies on they cheeks, it's hard to go to sleep

Ish bowled two sixes twice, I couldn't go to sleep

Ayo, we deep in the stairs, we carry kin's guns

Whippy got hit up with the big shit—"bung bung"

Ducked past the cheeba spot, then passed the liq' spot

Drove past y'all niggas again, you took a cheap shot?!?

Not knowing, fucking with me you'd get your meat chopped!

You thought we fell on our face? You think the Beez stopped?!?

Call on the chariots! Call on an ambulance!

You better smile, my nigga, you on 'Candid Cam'

Gangsta broad, these be the lords, walk with big balls

Nigga motherfucking eunuch, I even take which was yours

I'm the nigga that made you, man

When your rap wasn't doing well, I'm the nigga that gave you a hand

[Hook: Isaac Hayes]

Don't kill your brother

Learn to love each other

Don't get mad

'Cause it ain't that bad

Look at who you are

You've come too far

It's in your hands

Just be a man

Get the jelly out your spine!

Cobwebs out of your mind

[Verse 3: RZA]

I can't go to sleep, I can't shut my eyes

They shot the father at his mom's building seven times

They shot Malcolm in the chest in front of his little seeds

Jesse watched as they shot King on the balcony

Exported Marcus Garvey 'cause he tried to spark us

With the knowledge of ourselves and our forefathers

Oh, Jacqueline, you heard the rifle shots crackling

Her husband's head in her hands, you tried to put it back in

America's watching, blood-stained ink blotches

Medgar took one to the skull for integrating college

What's the science? ...Nobody?!? This is trick knowledge!

They tried to keep us as slaves and still scrape our dollars

Walking through Park Hill, drunk as a fuck

Looking around like, "These Devils! I'm ready to break this world down"

They got me trapped up in a metal gate, just stressed out with hate

And this gives me no time to relax and use my mind to meditate

What should I do? Grab a blunt or a brew?

Grab a .22 and run out there and put this fucking violence in you?

I can't go to sleep, I can't shut 'em, son, I—

[Outro: Isaac Hayes]

Don't let the game make you lose your head

You should be calling the shots instead

The power is in your hands

Stop all this crying, and be a man