Talib Kweli quotes

These cats drink champagne to toast death and pain

Like slaves on a ship talking about who got the flyest chain

Yo, I speak at schools a lot cause they say I'm intelligent

No, it's cause I'm dope, if I was whack I'd be irrelevant

These niggas ain't thugs, the real thugs is the government

If you’re the artist who wrote the protest song, you’re hoping it won’t make sense in five years. But it does.

You heard one song on Spotify and now you’re my biggest fan? No you’re not.

When I’m gettin’ introspective: that’s radio silence

When I’m fuckin’ up program directives: that’s radio violence

Place your bets, here's a mil', I invest in the real

Went from Netflix and chill to breakfast in Brazil

Back in the day they stole our smile

So we clothe our teeth in gold

You try to vote and participate in the government

And the muh'fuckin' Democrats is actin' like Republicans

The revolution's here, the revolution is personal

The TV got us reachin' for stars

Not the ones between Venus and Mars

The ones that be readin' for parts

Saturday sinners, Sunday morning at the feet of the Father

We survivalists turned to consumers

Life is a beautiful struggle

People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle

Some people usin' the noodle, some people usin' the muscle

Every problem can't be solved at the ballot box

We unifying Africa like Gaddafi, that's what got Malcolm shot

We know each other so well that we past lying

And we past crying, and we past fighting

My rhymes inspired by enviroments of the very violent

I'm the voice of a generation that's very silent

Yo, what becomes of a dream deferred

That never makes it to the world to be seen or heard

Yo, our activism attackin' the system, the Blacks and Latins in prison

Numbers have risen, they victims lackin' the vision

Shit, and all they got is rappin' to listen to

You can fit a lot of words into a verse. So if you’ve got all that space, why waste it on nonsense?

Hip-hop is informed by the struggle. It always has been. It came from Africa Bambaataa talking about peace, love, unity — and having fun. You can’t leave out the fun, but you can’t forget the rest either.

And I wanna walk through the storm, and I could be the umbrella when the rain is pouring

These average rappers is acting up for the dough

Yeah I tell you what I believe but I back it up with what I know (oh!)

I live on the edge, I’ll send you a postcard

Fuck a phone, I got a chip on my neck that’s a close call

Better pass the mic in the afterlife

If so, let me spit flows, good enough to offer to God as a sacrifice