{*man talking*}
haha yeah, but you brothers gotta be careful
I mean that ain't your average, garden variety

run of the mill gangster bull%#@!
Y'all hardcore, but you got a edge
Just look at ya, together

You, you little black stovepipe colored ^!$$%
You are the same complexion as Marcus Garvey
The man that brought self love

to the black consciousness movement of the 1930s
And now when we speak about complexion
We move into (???) of where y'all comin from

Yeah, red boned, variety covered
genie in a bottle lookin mother$#&@er
You are the same complexion as Malcolm X

Ooh I'm tellin you you brothers you're gonna be large
But like I said, you gotta be careful
See, cuz you are tellin the truth


[Talib Kweli]
Me and my man came out to put it down

Yeah, we bout to do it all over again
Here we go


A lotta cats like to get on the microphone and front
They say they rollin the paper like they ran outta blunts
Tell ya how much the Soundscan of the month

The man tell you to just do it
We never let the man take advantage of us
You get props off the diamonds you rented

I get my props off the rhymes I invented
Cuz I spoke my mind and I meant it
Like Tae Bo with a bow tie, kicked your $$# with class

And we still take it to Brooklyn when we ready to splash
Me and Hi-Tek got you ready to blast
I'm all ready to last, I stay hungry like I'm ready to fast

Married to the movement like a (???)
The rhyme veteran
You actin real (*##$ right now like a lesbian thespian

Since they let me in the back I've been droppin you
(???), stay fresh and clean like hospitals
In the war the Cris' poppin, the wallet to wrist watches

You ever think the wrist is watchin you
That's why the cops is stoppin you
^!$$% please, they can track you down anywhere

Your cell phone transmittin radiation through your ear
Your 2-Way is way too new and obsolete next year
Navigational system show you how to get there

And you ain't think about how you got here
Do you know where you are?
What happened today? Back in the day they used to follow the stars

Spillin so much you gotta catch it in bottles and jars
And make MCs eat their words and swallow their bars
Oh my god


[Talib Kweli and background singer]
Kweli and I'm (bright as the stars that shine)

Mos Def is (bright as the stars that shine)
(that's what I'm talkin about, yeah)
Black Star is (bright as the stars that shine)

(and you notice, yo)
We keep hip hop (bright as the stars)


[Mos Def]
Uh it's me (who?) Mos, the most beautiful, plain and unusual
Black Star rockin with that hot %#@! you're movin to

Massively musical that creep into your tuner to
The top of the dial %#@!, that you don't know my style %#@!
It's what them Brooklyn ^!$$%z stay on foul wit'

No matter what the scene is surroundin
Yo, whether I'm on the grind or loungin
I'm live and he say that I'm foundin

Must suffer all the ^!$$%z I'm down wit'
This announcement gon' keep the ghetto bouncin
Where people find pleasure in measurements and ounces

Midwest, big stress is more houses
Down South slangin the twang that it's pronounced in
East on that foul %#@!, West, they straight clownin
Black Star got the %#@! they all get down wit'
Don't tell me you gonna seen or been around in

(Mos Def) Terror stricken on your block
I am the mucher worker with the hottest hand
I keep it cookin like pots and pans
I know that haters got their plots and scams
But they simply can't stop my clan

It's mighty Mos and super Kwa, my man
Black Star my fam
About to move on the hearts of man
Until a small heart of hearts expand
Newer day, dog start the jam

And I spit flame that spark the jam
Heavy hittin %#@! across the fence
In other words I'm of the wall with this
I drop heavy jewels and ornaments
To make 'em shine a little more with this


[Talib Kweli and background singer]
Black Star is (bright as the stars that shine)
Mos Def is (bright as the stars that shine)
Kweli is (bright as the stars that shine)
(I wanna hear the guitar)

We keep hip hop (bright as the stars that shine)
(yeah, come on, yeah)
We keep hip hop (bright as the stars that shine)
(yeah, what we do, what we do, yo)
We keep hip hop (bright as the stars that shine)
(yeah, Brooklyn, uh)
Keep hip hop (bright as the stars)

And all my people is (bright as the stars that shine)
(come on, everybody in the house tonight, yeah)
And all my people is (bright as the stars that shine)
(yeah, take it with me now, uh)
And all my people is (bright as the stars that shine)
(yeah, I'm feelin this one, come on)
And all my people is (bright as the stars that shine)

(how we do it yall, uh)
(bright as the stars that shine)