Scared Money - Saul Williams

Callin' haves and have nots

Every cell on the block

Every nigga with a trigger, empty barreled or cocked

March in like parade of scars if you been stabbed or shot

Son, we smokin' these batons right in front of these cops

Callin' out to the kids, all my niggas with bids

Whether suited up or booted up or stuck in the mid

You can download it or boot it up, my pupils unlid

All my students of the underground with record store gigs

Callin' out to the girls, the inventors of worlds

The intelligence of relevance and elegant pearls

Pour like nectar from the lotus big bang opus in swirls

Down the sweaty backs of hairyweave tracks and dried jheri curls

Callin' out to the pimps hat cocked slump with your gimp

On your wrist with just a twist of lime to go with that limp

Hold your cup up so this ancient rain can find its way in

Let these niggas know the cost of reaching heavenly bliss, yes

Scared money don’t make none (x4)

Scared money don’t make none (x4)

It was all a dream, I used to fantasize I was Malcolm

Or Martin in the pulpit, the ballot or the bullet

I swear I used to pray to change back the year

When niggas spoke of motherships with space helmets for hair

Well, now what have we here?

Thugs and poets, ah yeah

What we seem to have in common is we’re common as air

Yes, the lowest rung of anthems sung each day every year

From cheque cashing to latest fashions, while they ration out fear

But I’m fearless, sometimes I feel alone, homeless, peerless

What will it take to shake the land for everyone to hear this?

I can’t bear this, born of pages torn from ancient prayer lists

Descendant of the womb, the lotus blooms when I come near it

I declare it, time to realign karat to carrot

What was olden remains golden sceptered tongue I dare to share it

All who hear it know at once, royal highness over blunts

Thug of thugs, pimp of pimps, golden tongue and ivory fronts

Grind and hustle, niggas know the heart is just a muscle

All payments due, you made some papes I wrote upon I trust you will invest

'Cause chances are the game is just a test

Professor of the truth talk real truth emeritus

I am the king, as I command my son to dance and sing

We celebrate our earthly fate, my daughter gives me wings

We are one, descendants of the mothership and tongue

Southern trees have born strange fruit, hail, salute a troop well hung

So come along, everyone’s invited

Heroes of distinguished paths, victims and conquered

Those who stand alone and those who stand unfettered

Fuck the bullshit whether from the hill or from the pulpit

Today, I put my money on the fall of every culprit

Truth prevails, when all else fails drug dealers make the music

Then guess who’s back?

Your souls answer to greenbacks, hoes and crack

The chord that strung from anthems sung right now to way way back

The legacy of Hennessey distilled to brownish black

Rolls off the tongue a pointed gun, fake nigga’s best stand back

The trumpet calls and yes, yes, y’all, the emperor’s changed his hat