Raushan.org - It's Up To Us Lyrics

It's Up To Us

Chorus

"American only", that's what they told me
that we were chosen so the world's people owe me
wait, that just doesn't seem right
why do so many have to die for our lies? (it's up to us)
America owes me, that's what you don't see
exploiting the people while they stole all the proceeds
they get away with their crimes
and that's why the people have to fight for their rights (it's up to us)

Fresh off a plane from the Hamptons, his chauffeur shines off his gators
then they head to a late fundraiser for the mayor
got a mansion in the burbs, 2 kids and a wife
2 Bentley's in the driveway, this is the life!
got a mistress in Brazil, 50 million in the bank
fully paid for his kids to go to Princeton, and the day
he gets bored, he'll retire from this business he inherited
and hey, maybe one day he'll even run for President
but 20 miles away on the other side of town
whole neighborhoods in ruin, foreclosures all around
bodies found but the cops won't investigate the killings
vacant buildings full of crack fiends, shelters full of children
no jobs, no hope, no futures worth living
some turn to prostitution, others sleeping under bridges
to the people in the streets, the "American Dream"
is nothing more than some rich man's scheme they'll never see

Chorus

Look how quickly we've forgotten, the last 400 years
the oppression of the natives, the enslavement of our peers
how's it the "Land of the Free" when you slaughtered all the Indians?
and used slave labor to build it, such hypocrites
the innocent have always been exploited for your greed
took 100 years of protests to gain (our) equality
the majority, threatened by the rise of minorities,
figured out a system to destroy our communities
they legalized the process, labeled it "the projects"
then like cattle we were rounded up without our knowledge
segregation and suppression were the objects
then injected drugs and guns to sabotage any progress
assassinated our leaders then replaced them with demons
that would teach us to be drug dealers, pimps, and false preachers
now they sit back laughing as we're poisoned from within
trapped within a life of sin, so we can never rise again

Chorus

Meet your local police chief, king of the bigots
rebel flag in his yard, hates every other religion
says he can't accept the fact that a black man's President
so he's "taking his country back", using his badge as his weapon then
he tested it by targeting the minority residents
he trumped up the charges and falsified the evidence
the feds caught him on tape shooting 2 illegal immigrants
but instead of protecting the innocent, they praised him for his vigilance
the families were outraged and people wanted vengeance
so reluctantly, the jury finally sentenced him to prison
but he didn't serve a minute, walked free on a technicality
but in reality, we're just as bad cuz we'd rather be
thugs than scholars, the power of the dollar
turns brothers into killers and makes strippers out of our daughters
there's more black men in prison than in college
and a whole generation of our kids, that'll never know their fathers
it's appalling, and you wonder why the leaders don't bother
cuz we'd rather kill ourselves over land that ain't ours
and man, we stay balling, wont solve our own problems
Malcolm X would be depressed by how far we've fallen
like the people of Moses, freed from oppression
then turned around and thanked God by pissing on his blessings
our arrogance led us to destroy our heritage
we do more damage to ourselves than the Klan ever did

Chorus