Mr. Nigga Lyrics - Black On Both Sides - Mos Def

Say ho, everybody say ho 

By the way yo 

I said shake your soul like way back in the day-yo 

By the way yo, everybody say ho 

Everybody say, 

Everybody say 

And check it out now 

Who is the cat eating out on the town 

And make the whole dining room turn they head round 

Mr Nigga, Nigga Nigga 

He got the speakers in the trunk with the bass on crunk 

Who be riding up in the high rise elevator 

Other tenants who be praying they ain't the new neighbor 

Mr Nigga, Nigga Nigga 

They try to play him like a chump cause he got what they want 

He under thirty years old but already he's a pro 

Designer trousers slung low cause his pockets stay swoll' 

Could afford to get up and be anywhere he go 

V.I.P. at the club, backstage at the show 

(Yes y'all) the best crib, the best clothes 

Hottest whips on the road neck and wrists on froze (say word) 

Checks with O's o-o-o-o-ohs 

Straight all across the globe watch got three time-zones 

Keep the digital phone up to his dome 

Two assistants, two bank accounts, two homes 

One problem; even with the O's on his check 

The po-po stop him and show no respect 

"Is there a problem officer?" Damn straight, it's called race 

That motivate the jake (woo-woo) to give chase 

Say they want you successful, but that ain't the case 

You living large, your skin is dark they flash a light in your face 

Now, who is cat dining out on the town 

Maitre'd wanna take a whole year to sit him down 

Mr Nigga, Nigga Nigga 

He got the speakers in the trunk with the bass on crunk 

Now, who is the cat at Armani buying wears 

With the tourists who be asking him, do you work here? 

Mr Nigga, Nigga Nigga 

Nigga Nigga 

Yo, the Abstract with the Mighty Mos Def 

White folks got it muffled across beneath they breathe 

"I didn't say it" 

But they'll say it out loud again 

When they get with they close associates and friends 

You know, sneak it in with they friends at the job 

Happy hour at the bar while this song is in they car 

And even if they've never said it, lips stay sealed 

They actions reveal how their hearts really feel 

Like, late night I'm on a first class flight 

The only brother in sight the flight attendant catch fright 

I sit down in my seat, 2C 

She approach officially talking about, "Excuse me" 

Her lips curl up into a tight space 

Cause she don't believe that I'm in the right place 

Showed her my boarding pass, and then she sort of gasped 

All embarrassed put an extra lime on my water glass 

An hour later here she comes by walking past 

"I hate to be a pest but my son would love your autograph" 

(Wow, Mr. Nigga I love you, I have all your albums!) 

They stay on nigga patrol on american roads 

And when you travel abroad they got world nigga law 

Some folks get on a plane go as they please 

But I go over seas and I get over-seized 

London Heathrow, me and my people 

They think that illegal's a synonym for negro 

Far away places, customs agents flagrant 

They think the dark face is smuggle weight in they cases 

Bags inspected, now we arrested 

Attention directed to contents of our intestines 

Urinalysis followed by X-rays 

Interrogated and detained til damn near the next day 

No evidence, no apology and no regard 

Even for the big american rap star 

For us especially, us most especially 

A Mr Nigga VIP jail cell just for me 

"If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake 

Just got some shoe-polish, painted my face" 

They say they want you successful, but then they make it stressful 

You start keeping pace, they start changing up the tempo 

Now, who is cat riding out on the town 

State trooper wanna stop him in his ride, pat him down 

Mr Nigga, Nigga Nigga 

He got the speakers in the trunk with the bass on crunk 

Now, who is the cat with the hundred dollar bill 

They gotta send it to the back to make sure the shit is real 

Mr Nigga, Nigga Nigga 

Nigga Nigga, Nigga 

You can laugh and criticize Michael Jackson if you wanna 

Woody Allen, molested and married his step-daughter 

Same press kicking dirt on Michael's name 

Show Woody and Soon-Yi at the playoff game, holding hands 

Sit back and just bug, think about that 

Would he get that type of dap if his name was Woody Black? 

O.J. found innocent by a jury of his peers 

And they been fucking with that nigga for last five years 

Is it fair, is it equal, is it just, is it right? 

Do you do the same shit when the defendant face is white? 

If white boys doing it, well, it's success 

When I start doing, well, it's suspect 

Don't hate me, my folks is poor, I just got money 

America's five centuries deep in cotton money 

You see a lot of brothers caked up, yo straight up 

It's new, y'all living off of slave traders paper 

But I'm a live though, yo I'm a live though 

I'm putting up the big swing for my kids yo 

Got my mom the fat water-front crib yo 

I'm a get her them pretty bay windows 

I'm a cop a nice home to provide in 

A safe environment for seeds to reside in 

A fresh whip for my whole family to ride in 

And if I'm still Mr Nigga, I won't find it suprising