"Belive Me"
Yeah, see that
I guess that this is where we’ve come to
If you don’t want to
Then you don’t have to
Believe me
But I won’t be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You’re on your own now
Believe me
Yeah , I don’t want to be the one to blame
You like fun and games
Keep playing ‘em, I’m just saying
Think back then you was like one of the same
On the right track, but I was on the wrong train
‘S like that, now you gotta face the pain
And the devil’s got a fresh new place to play
In your brain, like a mange you can never escape
The rain every damn day’s the same shade of grey
Ey, I used to have a little bit of a plan
Used to have a concept to where I stand
But that concept slipped right out of my hand
Now, I don’t even really know who I am
Yo, what do I have to say?
Maybe I should do what I have to do to break free
’n whatever’s gonna happen to you
We’ll see
But it’s not gonna happen to me
I guess that this is where we’ve come to
If you don’t want to
Then you don’t have to
Believe me
But I won’t be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You’re on your own now
Believe me
Well back then I thought you were just like me
Somebody who could see all the pain I see
But you proved to me, unintentionally
That you would selfdestruct eventually
Now I’m thinking like the mistake
A m- doesn’t hurt
But it’s not gonna work ‘cause it’s really much worse than I thought
I wished that you were something you were not
And now this guilt is really all that I got
Oh, you turn your back and walk away in shame
All you got is a memory and pain
Nothing makes sense, you just stare at the ground
You hear my voice in your head when no one else is around
What do I have to say?
Maybe I should do what I have to do to break free
’n whatever’s gonna happen to you
We’ll see
But it’s not gonna happen to me
I guess that this is where we’ve come to
If you don’t want to
Then you don’t have to
Believe me
But I won’t be there when you go down
Just so you know now
You’re on your own now
Believe me
I’ll do what I have to do
You’re on your own now believe me
Whatever happen to you
You’re on your own now believe me
What do I have to say
You’re on your own now believe me
It’s not gonna happen to me
You’re on your own now believe me
Yeah, what, woo, that’s right
Here’s the thing
"Petrefied"
No-no-no-not not re-re-ready yo!
Not re-re-ready yo!
We 'bout to drop it steady, yo!
So do it like that, like that, like that, like that, like that, like that
Now why is everybody so petrified?
(What!)
Petrified?
(What!)
Step aside
And just drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!) x2
Yeah
How you doin', y'all?
My name's Mike
I'm fooling with the new shit
I'm doing it all night
I like what i do
I do what i like
I could quit and get it back like i'm riding a bike
Like stop
Bring it back
Bring it back
We got that balance keeping us on track
That ya' get when 'ya movin quick, with no slow
You stare like you don't care
But you do it though I know
I know
You really must be so lonely
Puffed up, lookin' tough, but so phony
You and your boys, you don't know me
You really wanna hole me? Show me, homie
Lets get it over with for good
I got a friction addiction i wish you would
Machine shop rockin' when we step inside
And we got everybody so petrefied
Now why is everybody so petrified?
(What!)
Petrified?
(What!)
Step aside
And just drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Listen you are not ready
Like children in a building you can't stand steady
It must be the beat so heavy
Cos I'm panic attacks like a crack in the levy
Give you that Robert Plant
Dancing days are back
Feeling all in the track an' in fact
For those knowing the name
I'm back with some brand new crack
You can do it like that
You really must be so lonely
Puffed up, lookin' tough, but so phony
You and your boys, you don't know me
You really wanna hole me?
Showe me, homie
Tough talk doesn't mean a thing
you know yourself you know when we're up in a scene
Its machine shop rockin' when we step inside
And we got everybody so petrefied
Now why is everybody so petrified?
(What!)
Petrified?
(What!)
Step aside
And just drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!) x2
No-no-no-not not re-re-ready yo!
Not re-re-ready yo!
We 'bout to drop it steady, yo!
So do it like that, like that, like that, like that, like that, like that
No-no-no-not not re-re-ready yo!
Not re-re-ready yo!
We 'bout to drop it steady, yo!
So do it like that, like that, like that, like that, like that, like that
Now why is everybody so petrified?
(What!)
Petrified?
(What!)
Step aside
And just drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!)
Drop that
(Come on!) x2
Like stop
Bring it back
We got that balance keeping us on track x4
Like stop...stop...stop...stop...stop
'Chine shop!
"Remember The Name"
You ready? Lets go!
Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we're all about
It's like this y'all c'mon
It's just ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name
Mike
He doesn't need his name up in lights
He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic
He feels so unlike everybody else, alone
In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him
But fuck em'
He knows the code
It's not about the salary
It's about reality and makin' some noise
Makin' the story
Makin' sure his clique stays up
That means when he puts it down Tak's pickin' it up
Who the hell is he anyway?
He never really talks much
Never concerned with status but still leavin' them star struck
Humbled through opportunities given to him despite the fact
That many misjudge him because he makes a livin' from writin raps
Put it together himself, now the picture connects
Never askin for someone's help, to get some respect
He's only focused on what he wrote, his will is beyond reach
And now when it all unfolds, the skill of an artist
It's just twenty percent skill
Eighty percent fear
Be one hundred percent clear 'cause Ryu is ill
Who would've thought that he'd be the one to set the west in flames
And I heard him wreckin' with The Crystal Method, Name Of The Game
Came back dropped Megadef, took 'em to church
I'm like 'bleach, man, why you have the stupidest verse?'
This dude is the truth, now everybody be givin' him guest spots
His stock's through the roof I heard he fuckin' with S-Dot!
It's just ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name
They call him Ryu the sick
And he's spittin fire at Mike
Got him out the dryer he's hot
Found him in Fort Minor with Tak
Been a fuckin' annihilist porcupine
He's a prick, he's a cock
The type woman want to be with
And rappers hope he get shot
Eight years in the makin'
Patiently waitin to blow
Now the record with Shinoda's takin' over the globe
He's got a partner in crime his shit is equally dope
You wont believe the kind of shit that comes out of this kid's throat
Tak
He's not your everyday on the block
He knows how to work with what he's got
Makin' his way to the top
People think its a common owners name
People keep askin him was it given at birth
Or does it stand for an acronym?
No he's livin' proof
Got him rockin' the booth
He'll get you buzzin' quicker than a shot of vodka with juice
Him and his crew are known around as one of the best
Dedicated to what they doin give a hundred percent
Forget Mike
Nobody really knows how or why he works so hard
It seems like he's never got time
Because he writes every note and he writes every line
And I've seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind
It's like a design is written in his head every time
Before he even touches a key or speaks in a rhyme
And those motherfuckers he runs with, those kids that he signed
Ridiculous, without even tryin', how do they do it?
It's just ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name x2
Yeah
Fort Minor, M. Shinoda
Styles of Beyond, Ryu, Takbir
Machine Shop
"Right Now"
Someone right now is leaving their apartment
looking down at the street wondering where there car went
Someone in the car sitting at a signal in
front of a restaraunt staring through the window
at someone right now with their finger in their
teeth who could use a little floss Right across the street
theres somebody on the curb
who really needs a jacket spent half a grand at a
bar getting plastered now hes gotta walk
fourteen blocks to work at a shop where hes about to get fired.
Someone right now is looking pretty tired
staring at a laptop trying to get inspired
Somebody living right across the street
shes wrote the best things
shes written all week but her best friends coughing up blood in the sink
cant even think what
happened feeling so confused and he knows it looks bad but there
nothing he can do I wonder what its like to be right there in his shoes but
[Chorus]
No im just taking it in out the window of a hotel bedroom again
tommorrow ill be gone I dont know when ill be back and this world
everything can change just
like that, that, just like that, just like that
that, just like that, just like that
Yo somebody right now is dropping his vote
inside a box and trying not to get shot in his throat
For the act of freedom right now somebody is stuck in Iraq
hoping that he gets shipped back breathing
in a war that hes not really sure of the reasons
so we show our support when the press mislead
them though we more then remain proud and salute the troops get some
I know you boys got some work to do
Meanwhile right now someones 25 to life and is stading on the corner with their thumb up hitchiking
stratching off a lotto ticket hoping for a real
winner sneaking through the water just to work and to eat a real dinner
Right now someone wishes they were you were not instead of second guessing freedom thoughts of quiet suicide
But right now im staring at the window at a frame
with holes in his arm and holes in his jeans
he pulled out his siger and sparked the light and walked right around the corner just outta my sight but
Yo im just taking it in from the second story hotel window again,
the TV's on, and my bags are packed, but in this world
everything can change just
like that, like that, like that, like that,
[Repeat]
Ya right now somebody sitting in the darkness trying to figure out how to put some heat in their
apartment but they got a little matress and a little carpet and they appreciate it cause some people own
apartments
You seem them when you rushing to get to the office wife robbed blind when she coming from the market
right now somebody coming out from the pocket trying to dump that rock they run around the block with at
the same time the cops is raising the block with aint for your legs and back with some hot shit
Right now somebody struggling to stop this man whos kick and punching and cussing at the doctors
Down the hall the child taking his first breath the doctors aint even passed him to the nurse yet yo I
wonder if he understands what its worth yet like the time spent while we here on the earth yet the answer
to the question that we all seek to be found at the general how all free your fate
Right now its somebody who aint eat all week that would kill for the shit that you throw away in the
street I guess ones mans trash is the next mans treaure one mans pain is the next mans pleasure one say
infinity the next say forever right now erbody got to get it together man
Im just taking it in another strange hotel lobby again put my luggage on my back i dont know where im at
im in world where we all change just like that, like that, like that, just like that, like that, just like that
Just like that, Just like that
[repeat]
"Slip Out The Back"
You know me, I used to get caught up in everyday life
Tried to make it through my day so I could sleep at night
Tried to figure out my way through the maze
Of rights and wrongs, but like you used to say
Nothing feels like it's really worth it
Forget perfect, I'm trying not to be worthless
Since I last saw you I been lookin for a purpose
Well I met this kid who thought like I did
He had a weird way of lookin at it
This is what he said
Slip out the back before they know you were there
And at the worst you'll see nobody cares
Cos you dont wana be around when it all goes down
Even heroes know when to be scared
Slip out the back before they know you were there
And at the worst you'll see nobody cares
Cos you dont wana be around when it all goes down
Even heroes know when to be scared
I dont remember where I met him or remember his name
But he walked funny like he was too big for his frame
Just over five foot but he weighed a buck fifty
And what he said just seemed so right it stuck with me
Listen its like poker you can play your best
But you got to know when to fold your cards and take a rest
And know when to hold your cards and hold your breath
And hope that nobody else is stacking the deck because
I dont need to tell you that life isnt fair, it doesnt care
It momentarily cuts off your air, and like you I want someone to say its okay
But in the truest parts of our hearts everybody's afraid
But just underappreciated and overwhelmed
Fighting so hard to hide our fear that were scaring ourselves
You understand when im saying that you always did
But its different in the words of a cowardly kid
Slip out the back before they know you were there
And at the worst you'll see nobody cares
Cos you dont wana be around when it all goes down
Even heroes know when to be scared
Slip out the back before they know you were there
And at the worst you'll see nobody cares
Cos you dont wana be around when it all goes down
Even heroes know when to be scared
Im no hero, you remember how I was, you know
All I ever did was worry, feeling out of control
To the point where everything was going end over end
Im spinning around in circles again
This is where you come in
All of this to explain to you why
I had to separate myself away from yesterday's life
Please remember this isn't how I hoped it would be
But I had to protect you from me
Thats why I slipped out the back before you knew I was there
I know you felt unprepared
But every single time I was around i just bring you down
And I could tell that it was time to be scared
Thats why I slipped out the back before you knew I was there
And I know the way I left wasnt fair
I didnt want to be around just to bring you down
I'm not a hero but dont think I didnt care
"Where'd You Go?"
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
She said "Some days I feel like shit,
Some days I wanna quit, and just be normal for a bit,"
I don't understand why you have to always be gone,
I get along but the trips always feel so long,
And, I find myself tryna stay by the phone,
'Cause your voice always helps me when I feel so alone,
But I feel like an idiot, workin' my day around the call,
But when I pick up I don't have much to say,
So, I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',
Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,
Me and the rest of the family here singing "Where'd you go?"
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone,
Please come back home...
You know the place where you used to live,
Used to barbeque up burgers and ribs,
Used to have a little party every Hallowe'en with candy by the pile,
But now, you only stop by every once in a while,
Shit, I find myself just fillin' my time,
Anything to keep the thought of you from my mind,
I'm doin' fine, I plan to keep it that way,
You can call me if you find you have somethin' to say,
And I'll tell you, I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',
Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,
Me and the rest of the family here singing "Where'd you go?"
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone,
Please come back home...
I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waitin', no longer debatin',
Tired of sittin' and hatin' and makin' these excuses,
For while you're not around, and feeling so useless,
It seems one thing has been true all along,
You don't really know what you got 'til it's gone,
I guess I've had it with you and your career,
When you come back I won't be here and you'll can sing it...
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go?
I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone,
Please come back home...
Please come back home...
Please come back home...
Please come back home...
Please come back home...
"Red To Black"
I had a friend named Victor
The two of us used to hang every single day
And it seemed like overnight
That his whole life just changed
I know when his mom and dad broke up
It didn't make sense
But i know that his dad was a drunk
And he gambled away the rent
Pretty soon Vic was seeing red
Pissed off and instead
Hed drink every night until he passed out
And then hed do it all again
The whole time spelling on the outside
To cover the pain
But on the inside
All he was trying to do was get away
Dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Yo, Funny how things change color
Than fade to another shade
When you had it made it was all good
But now look just another day
It was so fresh
It was so clean
Never saw it gone
One, two, three
Lights out, which way to turn
Can't get a grip
All alone in a big white house
Every day gets worse
And you just curse until your head bursts
And it hurts so bad she left
You think to yourself
I shoulda thought of that one first
No family, no kids
Cant accept what you did
Now you wanna run away
But you can't
Cause the past comes back again
Slippin through the cracks
Have a little shack
Go to bed half dead
What about rent
Why does every cent gotta be a bet
Whens it gonna end
Oh my god we dont got a penny left
My moms gotta find a way
To get a job, out of debt, out of dodge
Out of breath, out of this big problem
My pops wanna get away from the pain
In a better place in his brain
But the medication he takes
Makes him wasted
So sick if hes gonna faint
The good lord would come take him
Im shaking now wake up
You son of a bitch!
He's dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Hiding himself away
Watching all the memories fade away
From red to black
He's dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Hiding himself away
Watching all the memories fade away
From red to black
Slipping through the cracks
Slipping through the cracks
Slipping through the cracks
"Feel Like Home"
These days are dark and the nights are cold
People acting like they lost their soul
And everywhere I go I see another person like me
Trying to make it all feel like home
[Mike:]
Standing on the bridge in teh dark and I'm seeing my breath
Trying to make it home without freezing to death
And my grandfather's face is
stuck in my mind mind and how
Seeing him tonight's gonna be the last time I should've brought a jacket
Blowing in my hands like it's really gonna stop the chill
I buy a cup of coffee with a five dollar bill
thinking
Laying in that box people look so still
At times like these you start thinking
Your first breath in and the clock starts ticking
I'm not trying to bum anyone out
Not trying to be dramatic
just thinking out loud
I'm just trying to make some sense in my mind
Some defense from the cold that I'm feeling outside and for a minute
Escape with some rhythm and rhyme and
Get away from the grey
Just a bit at a time
[Ryu:]
Kinda funny how this world can treat you
Like a freak in a sideshow
a carnival creature
Climbing outta cans
I'm a diamond in the sand
But you cant tell the difference on a beach full of rhinestones
My life's like trying to swallow a pinecone
It's tough when you live fast
just to die slow
Talk to dial tones
my dreams are far-fetched
It seems
so I sleep underneath this park bench
I know it don't make sense
And I don't expect you to know what it's like
Smoke
drink
piss
sniffing everything in my sight
Push rocks in a pipe
Liftoff
I keep puffin 'til my lips turn white
And my chest gets tight
But who the fuck really cares
when you're
So far left behind that even death looks right
All I can do is hope for teh best and pray
That it gets a little better than yesterday
[Tak:]
Pardon me
I think I'm nect to url
Too many problems going on
that's why i left my girl
Packed my bags and traveled with a pen and a notepad
Pissed that i was broke and all the things that I dont have
But still
I try toi find a way to escape
From all teh hate planted in my head which lead to mistakes
But now I'm breaking the mold
see I was patient and calm
Many sleep in the rain
but I'm awake in the storm
Writing my life in a short film
The Rise and Fall
How I managed to scorch hills
and climb the walls
Pound pavement
aimless in the cold existence
Even thought thangs are changing
I'm going the distance
Overcoming the doubt that had controlled for so long
And put it all behind me
'cause life still goes on
Now I'm much stronger and know where I stand
While lost souls search over and over again
[Mike:]
These days are dark and the nights are cold
People acting like they lost their soul
And everybody's trying not to cry
trying to get by
And trying not to feel out of control
And if you look hard enough
Sometimes you'll find a place that might just remind you of home
But if it doesn't feel like home
You can do what I do
Just pretend you don't feel so alone
"In Stereo"
(That beat is hard)
This is how it goes
Welcome one and all to the show
We're wired up
fired up
fucking ready to go
In the back of the parking lot outside of the bar
Twenty deep
twenty feet from the boulevard
Black hoodies
Black caps
Black label in glasses
Previewing the new shit before the masses
'Cause the first thing I need when i've got a new beat
Is to see how it sounds
echoing off the street
I just take it for a spin
Pop the CD in
Slide it up to ten and get that rearview shaking
Then play it again so there's no mistaking
San Andreas the block
Get this bitch earthquaking live
Oh
ready for it here we go
We got the whole block rocking in stereo
We're taking control
letting everybody know
And if you feel it
let me hear everybody go
You're not ready
I got plenty cuts for twenty months dropped steadily
Plenty tracks to empty on your wack pedigree
I'm backed heavily while you're back peddling
Forget the chitchat on me homie
kick back
I'm on that shit that can get your homie bitch-slapped
So zip your lip back
listen and watch
We got the whole block rockin' off the way the beat knocks
You don't have to warn the people on the corner
they know
That if you're standing on that corner then you're getting that show
World premiering you're hearing that Machine Shop flow
San Andreas the block
Get this bitch earthquaking like
Turn the key
turn the volume up to loud
Roll right
roll every window down
Let the whole block know what this is about
Turn it up y'all
burn that system out
"The Hard Way"
Come with me
Let me walk in through the world that I currently stay in
You can take a look around and tell me if I’m mistaken
You can even talk to everybody that I live with
Maybe you could tell me why everybody’s so distant
Is it me or maybe, when I look around daily
I don’t even know the people I can put my trust in lately
People that I used to hang with now their actin’ to different
I’m still the same person why doesn’t anybody listen
Can somebody please just explain to me
What happened to the way that we always said we’d be
Right now I dunno why I push through the pain that I got through
And I’m losin’ hope
Deafening voices
That frequency inside my head that says
I’m going at it the hard way I focus
Get everything inside out of my brain that claims
I’m going at it the hard way
Come with me
Let me walk in through the world that I currently live in
Not a thing is forgotten, not a thing is forgiven
Nobody can hold their own underneath the weight but
Nobody can take the blame for their own mistakes so
What do you do when somebody lets you down
And you wanna say something but you can’t cause their not around
Inside you think they know the extent of the pain
But they won’t even admit that they were the one to blame
Can somebody please just explain to me
What happened to the way that we always said we’d be
Cause right now I dunno why I push through the pain that I got through
And I’m losin’ hope
Deafening voices
That frequency inside my head that says
I’m going at it the hard way I focus
Get everything inside out of my brain that claims
I’m going at it the hard way
Voices in my head
Can somebody please just explain to me
What happened to the way that we always said we’d be
Right now I dunno why I push through the pain that I got through
And I’m losin’ hope, give me one reason not to
Voices
That frequency inside my head that says
I’m going at it the hard way I focus
Get everything inside out of my brain that claims
I’m going at it the hard way
"Back Home"
Back home
Everybody's searching for somethin'
But all they can find is a whole lot of nothin'
Back home
Ain't nobody hoping and praying
'Cause they feel like nothing can save 'em
And they try to hold out but they can't fight the fact that
Life goes black when those lights go out
But I guess you gotta just watch out for your own
'Cause ain't a damn thing free
Back home
[Common:]
Back home
they holler "disciple" and "blackstone"
Same block they freebase yo we trapped on
Where our grandmothers marched
The guns clap on
There's liquor stores, beauty supplies, and rap songs
I travel the world just to come back to it
The crib got a lot of soul like black music
I'm attached to it
In many ways the city raised me
and gave me
The drama, honor, and bravery
The streets seem hollow
when I go to Chicago
It's cheap wine and sorrow
Times is hard to swallow
In search of God's tomorrow
I borrow words from the
Bible
and use them for survival
gangs rival
Signs painted on walls like hieroglyphics
I tell 'em that this is all tribal
Used to do dirt
shorty's goin' through the same cycle
And trials like Michael
tryin' not to stay idle
[Ryu:]
Back home it's not Compton but close
The same problems exist and the pain throbbin'
And folks are so common
It don't
really bother us much we just swallow it
uh
Crack the bottle and smoke
hope tomorrow something
Magical happens that'll put me back in the biz
But the chances of it actually happening's kinda slim
Back home
we get the good life at a glimpse
In the form of a rap star, drug dealers, and pimps
I'm back home
[Tak:]
Back home
I try my best to keep it together it's cold
Like the Windy City streets of December
I pace back and forth
looking for the courage to shine
But can't tap the source
need something to nourish my mind
I know we all lose quite a bit in life
Only to gain some
Life of the dark winding roads we came from
But I move with the night
so I'm used to the shade
And never lose sight
bringing truth back to the game
[Mike:]
Back home
we've got a lot of shit on our minds
We're always behind on something cause there's not enough time
And we're non-stop
bottom line
doing what we gotta do to get some food in the fridge and stay out of the hosptial
Back home there's people calling us hopeless
People trying to tell us all we need is some focus
But focus
Focus is overrated
Cause you see every blemish and mistake and can't change it
Back home is Alvarado
K-Town and J-Town
Or Little Tokyo for those that don't know
Where figures shiver
living right inside the LA river
On the concrete
a symbol of our everyday way
Its that color and concentration over the heavy and grey
And by the time the ink dries on this page
I'll be half a day away from the place where I stay
"Kenji"
My father came from Japan in 1905
He was 15 when he immigrated from Japan
He, he... he worked until he was able to buy this patch
And build a store
Let me tell you the story in the form of a dream,
I don't know why I have to tell it but I know what it means,
Close your eyes, just picture the scene,
As I paint it for you, it was World War II,
When this man named Kenji woke up,
Ken was not a soldier,
He was just a man with a family who owned a store in LA,
That day, he crawled out of bed like he always did,
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids,
He lived on the second floor of a little store he ran,
He moved to LA from Japan,
They called him 'Immigrant,'
In Japanese, he'd say he was called "Esay,"
That meant 'First Generation In The United States,'
When everyone was afraid of the Germans, afraid of the Japs,
But most of all afraid of a homeland attack,
And that morning when Ken went out on the doormat,
His world went black 'cause,
Right there; front page news,
Three weeks before 1942,
"Pearl Harbour's Been Bombed And The Japs Are Comin',"
Pictures of soldiers dyin' and runnin',
Ken knew what it would lead to,
Just like he guessed, the President said,
"The evil Japanese in our home country will be locked away,"
They gave Ken, a couple of days,
To get his whole life packed in two bags,
Just two bags, couldn't even pack his clothes,
Some folks didn't even have a suitcase, to pack anything in,
So two trash bags was all they gave them,
When the kids asked mum "Where are we goin'?"
Nobody even knew what to say to them,
Ken didn't wanna lie, he said "The US is lookin' for spies,
So we have to live in a place called Mandinar,
Where a lot of Japanese people are,"
Stop it don't look at the gunmen,
You don't wanna get the soldiers wonderin',
If you gonna run or not,
'Cause if you run then you might get shot,
Other than that try not to think about it,
Try not to worry 'bout it; bein' so crowded,
Someday we'll get out, someday, someday.
As soon as war broke out
The G.I came and they just come to the house and
"You have to come"
"All the Japanese have to go"
They took Mr. Ni
People didn't understand
Why did they have to take him?
Because he's an innocent labourer?
So now they're in a town with soldiers surroundin' them,
Every day, every night look down at them,
From watch towers up on the wall,
Ken couldn't really hate them at all;
They were just doin' their job and,
He wasn't gonna make any problems,
He had a little garden with vegetables and fruits that,
He gave to the troops in a basket his wife made,
But in the back of his mind, he wanted his families life saved,
Prisoners of war in their own damn country,
What for?
Time passed in the prison town,
He wanted them to live it down when they were free,
The only way out was joinin' the army,
And supposedly, some men went out for the army, signed on,
And ended up flyin' to Japan with a bomb,
That 15 kilotonne blast, put an end to the war pretty fast,
Two cities were blown to bits; the end of the war came quick,
Ken got out, big hopes of a normal life, with his kids and his wife,
But, when they got back to their home,
What they saw made them feel so alone,
These people had trashed every room,
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors,
Written on the walls and the floor,
"Japs not welcome anymore."
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides and just stood outside,
He, looked at his wife without words to say,
She looked back at him wiped the tears away,
And, said "Someday we'll be okay, someday,"
Now the names have been changed, but the story's true,
My family was locked up back in '42,
My family was there it was dark and damp,
And they called it an internment camp
When we first got back from camp... uhh
It was... pretty... pretty bad
I, I remember my husband said
"Are we gonna stay 'til last?"
Then my husband died before they close the camp.
"High Road"
Lets go ya'll
These people are running off at the mouth
Tryin to convince me that I'm running on empty
Tryin to convince themselves that the record with Jay was a fluke
That the record that I'm makin is a mistake
and I cant take this
Lemme tell you where I'm at with this
You bastards are gonna have to take back that shit
I'm not plastic and fake
When I make tracks I take facts and lay them out for the masses
You assholes are gonna see soon that I'm not playin
Start askin me the names that I'm not sayin
But I'm tryin to be bigger than the bickerin
bigger than the petty name callin
under the breath talkin
rumors and labels and categorization
I'm like a struggling doctor, No patients
But you can say what you want about me
keep talkin while I'm walkin away
You can say what you have to say
cuz my mind's made up anyway
I'm taking the high road going above you
this is the last time that I'm gonna trust you
You can say what you have to say
cuz my mind's made up anyway
all that bullshit you talk might work a lot
but it's not gonna work today
You people are running off at the mouth
Tryin to make me take myself off safety
Tryin to make my friends turn their backs on the team we built
buildin up some mistaken information
and I cant take this
lemme spell it out plain for you
angry groups complain about the things we do
im not changing direction, I'm stepping my game up
Maintainin my name, the same way I came up
You're gonna see that I'm not playin
start asking the names that I'm not sayin
but im tryin not to mention the names of people who wanna sight and attention
You like the hype but pretendin you're part of the picture wont pass
You're like a high school dropout, no class
You can say what you want about me
keep talkin while i'm walkin away bitch
You can say what you have to say
cuz my mind's made up anyway
I'm taking the high road going above you
this is the last time that I'm gonna trust you
You can say what you have to say
cuz my mind's made up anyway
all that bullshit you talk might work a lot
but it's not gonna work today
Why does it always have to be
Somebody's always watching me
All I really need is some room to breathe
Is anybody out there listening?
Cuz I cant stand to keep this in
All I really want, I'll say it again
You can say what you have to say
cuz my mind's made up anyway
I'm taking the high road going above you
this is the last time that I'm gonna trust you
You can say what you have to say
cuz my mind's made up anyway
all that bullshit you talk might work a lot
but it's not gonna work today
"Get Me Gone"
The dude, he said that, like, when we were making the first Linkin Park record
He was like,
"Yeah you know, I don't know about the rapping like, I don't know... maybe you should just be a rock band."
You know what I mean, like, trying to change us
like they signed us as an act like what we sound like and then he's like
"Oh I don't know maybe you should just play keyboard"
Before the first song that you heard me on
There were people already tryin' to get me gone
Tellin' me to quit rapping
"Just play the keys"
That my band had a singer
They didn't need me
But my band had my back
So we did the tracks
Put out the album and the talk went flat
It was funny at first but then the humour faded
When some magazines printed that our label made us
We were to be good to be true
Some were saying ghost writers were writin' all that we do
So we had to disprove it
We spelled it out to the detail how we do it when we're making this music
After that I made it a rule
I only do e-mail responses to print interviews
Because these people love to put a twist to your words
To infer that you said something fucking absurd
Oh, did I lose you at infer?
Not used to hearing a verse that uses over first grade vocabulary words?
People used to infer that we were manufactured
Now I've got the interviews on file
Which people said what
Which number to dial
So now every enemy screaming insanity
All they're ever gonna be's another big fan of me
Bitch
"Cigarettes"
Man I love this rap game/ Mainly cuz its cool
To add a little spice to the life you've been through/ Everyone exaggerates a tiny little bit
To make that shit sound more gangster than it really is/ You cant appear weak man
We wanna hear street/ Wanna hear you spit your thug over this here beat
Dont take it as sarcastic/ I can't get enough/ Im telling you/ You can call my bluff
If it's not rough, then I really don't need it/ I'm not even ashamed
I got too much reality thats filling up my brain/ so sell me on that chronic, I'm addicted to the game
Suck it up like a cigarette, light it up
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do
Once in awhile but between me and you
Its just like a cigarette Nobody's really fooled
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool
Let me tell you something that I realized tonight/ My hip hop radio is like marlboro lights
They're both selling stories and they sound about the same
Cigarettes say their safe, wrappers claim they really bang
We dont care if it's true when we lay the money down
We don't believe the words, we just love the way they sound
They're acting like we're idiots, They're lying to our face/ Maybe we are idiots, we buy it anyway
I'm runnin out to get the next rapper's CD/ Just suckin up the guns, drugs, and misogyny
The same way that I suck up all the stories
When I breathe that little bit of death supposedly cancer-free and
Everything they say's got the truth twisted up/ But twisted up's what I want man, I can't get enough
Cuz even though we know it's all just a big bluff/ We just light another up, what
We don't give a fuck
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do
Once in awhile but between me and you
Its just like a cigarette Nobody's really fooled
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do
Over and over but between me and you
Its just like a cigarette Nobody's really fooled
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool
Listen to the words, Listen for awhile/ Lip Service radio, dont touch the dial
If you're in the car/ Turn up the track man
Give the whole neighborhood some second hand rap
Matter of fact/ Listen to the words, Listen for awhile
Lip Service radio, dont touch the dial/ If you're in the car man
Turn up the track / Give the whole neighborhood some second hand rap
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do
Once in awhile but between me and you
Its just like a cigarette Nobody's really fooled
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do
Over and over but between me and you
Its just like a cigarette Nobody's really fooled
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool
''100 Degrees''
Mike:
Yo, you ready do this? Ok
Come on! Let's go!
Green Lantern:
This is an invasion
Evil genius Green Lantern
Mike Shinoda
Mike:
Ladies and gentlemen
I would like to welcome you to a Fort Minor event
The countdown has begun
The Rising Tied is almost here
But for now...
Green Lantern:
Come on, Mike!
Mike:
Yo, let's get it going in front of every man, anybody
You gotta be ready, it's heavy when we get it rowdy
We won't apologize or even think of saying sorry
This is the way we rock steady over everybody
Yo, let's get it going in front of every man, anybody
You gotta be ready, it's heavy when we get it rowdy
We won't apologize or even think of saying sorry
This is the way we rock steady over everybody
You probably shocked, probably ready to stop this already
You probably can't hang with the way we attack it so steady
We let it rock the room and bang the Benz, shake the Chevy
'Til everybody feels it in the chest, say it with me
This is the time so just follow me
It's already heated to 100 degrees so
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Wait a second, you know the program, this is not a slow jam
This is not a love song, unless you love tearing shit down
Take a look around, you're not running this
The bluff in your nothing will hit you like a ton of bricks
Hit you together with pressure you can never stand
The softest leather just a featherweight, never man
We're not your competitors setting you straight
You never compete, forget it, it's already too late, go!
This is the time so just follow me
It's already heated to 100 degrees so
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Yo, if you don't see, I'm a make you see this
If you don't roll, I'm a make you believe it
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Shh, give me a second, I'm collecting my thoughts
And setting plots, all right y'all ready or not?!
I've listened and watched and waited for an opening spot
And now that I got it, nobody can pay me to stop
I'm sick of that same thing I've been forced to hear
Over and over again, let me make this clear
If anybody pretends that we're nothing to fear
I solemnly swear it's over, you can tell 'em we're here
This is the time so just follow me
It's already heated to 100 degrees so
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Yo, if you don't see, I'm a make you see this
If you don't roll, I'm a make you believe it
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Get up, get up, get up, get up
Everybody owes, everybody pays
Because...
...that's how you stand up against the rising of the tied
''Cover And Duck''
Mike:
Gentlemen and ladies
Please put down your expensive champange
It’s about to get ugly in here
Let’s go! [Set it off motherfuckers!]
My name is Mike Shinoda
And with some help
From my man Celph Titled [You goddamned right!]
I would like to introduce to you from Styles of Beyond: Takbir!
Tak:
Yo, I’m here, put a sock in your mouth, you now rockin’ with Styles
That’s how we knockin ’em down, no other option around
Cause I’m just cockin’ a plow, me and my popular pals
Don’t make me hop in the crowd, stop joking about
We taking over and stomping all of your sports spiders
Cover and duck, a machine straight out of Fort Minor
Roll with a pack of fifty so when they get they shifty
I put a stamp on it and slap ’em with a flask of whiskey
You got your hopes a blazin’, buzzin’ with no sedation
I got a (gun cocks) and a party cap for both occasions
With something terrible seeping into your stadium
Never perform solo, I’m freakin’ sick in the cranium
Packin’ a man, yeah, the ruler gets back
Quick to crackin’ ya shins with aluminum bats
Got the place going bananas and they pumpin they fists
I’m telling my grim in Los Angeles to jump in the pit
What the fuck are you doing, man? You spilled my Crystal all over me
So buff, so rugged, so rough
Like a runaway train we’re tearing the track up
We’re at it again, we’re ready to act up
So cover and duck, show us you’re rocking with us
Let’s see a fist if you’re rocking with this
Let me see your fist if you’re rocking with this
Mike:
From the start ’til the end, night until the dawn
It’s that fight music cause right when it comes on
You just lose control of your elbows and fists
Fuckin’ other disregard for your body in the pit
People are swinging limbs, swinging bottles and chairs
Throwin’ lime, backin’ motherfuckers up in the air
So back up, we got you wearing that Fight Club glare
Steady, tearing down the club cause you just don’t care
It’s the realest way to feel it when the speakers pop poppin’
You with it if you get it when that beat starts knockin’
And we kill it when get up on that mic, start rockin’
And you feel it when you hear it cause we’re on nonstoppin’
So ask a buddy or a friend if they know, no
We do it daily, never maybe, every show, show
Ya’ll want to get down? I’m ready to roll
Right now, y’all ready? let’s get it, let’s go!
So buff, so rugged, so rough
Like a runaway train we’re tearing the track up
We’re at it again, we’re ready to act up
So cover and duck, show us you’re rocking with us
Let’s see a fist if you’re rocking with this
Let me see your fist if you’re rocking with this
Let’s see a fist if you’re rocking with this
Let me see your fist if you’re rocking with this
Ryu!
Ryu:
Yo, so now they notice me rockin’ over Shinoda beats
Makin’ a crack like the extract in cocoa leaves
Hopefully labels love it, if not then fuck ’em
I’m cutting to break cables, ain’t stoppin’ at nothing
My hype is coming, murder for the price of a muffin
You think twice with a steak knife stuck in your stomach
I’m like «Who ever wanted whistle? I’ll let you bring a pistol»
I’ll put a verse on both wings like a stinger missile
Provoking people to bring it, I keep the weapons stable
I’ll blow a fucking hole through like a western bagel
Yeah, I talk tough and I rap ignorant too
Sick of me kicking knowledge, getting crap on my shoes
I’m off my rocker, a psycho stalker
The girl called me David Beckem, she thought I was going to sock her
Nah, I’m the one to get it crackin’, the plan works
Before I rock a show you gotta fax in the fans first
Ready? Let’s go!
So buff, so rugged, so rough
Like a runaway train we’re tearing the track up
We’re at it again, we’re ready to act up
So cover and duck, show us you’re rocking with us
Let’s see a fist if you’re rocking with this
Let me see your fist if you’re rocking with this
Let’s see a fist if you’re rocking with this
Let me see your fist if you’re rocking with this
Come on, Celph Titled!
Celph:
If it ain’t raw, it ain’t right, so get it right
We at it again, now to act up and start a fight
So cover and duck cause we runnin’ a muck
No, cover and duck cause we about to erupt
Throw your motherfuckin’ hands to the sky, sky
And make a fist if you want to get live, live
Throw your motherfuckin’ hands to the sky, sky
And make a fist if you want to get live, live
Mike:
Come on y’all! Yeah!
You like that shit?
Celph:
We had to get real Godzilla on ’em this time
Talkin’ Ryu, S.O.B., Celph Titled M. Shinoda the Cobra Holder, Demigodz
That’s how my crew do, shut the fuck up when Fort Minor’s talking!
''Get it''
Ryu:
Ryu and Tak, Demigodz
Green Lantern, Scoop DeVille
This kid is only seventeen, man
He’s about to be a problem
Tak:
So let’s get right to it and groove
Ain’t nothin’ but a thing to getcha grippin’ the move
Gotta lovin’ the way we swing when we step on the scene
You know we kill it, goin’ all out, we about to get it
Ryu:
Yo, it’s in my blood, I was born to spit it
The coroner has kept me warm through the storms of winter
Ignored the pain and struggle when it’s time for dinner
We huddle together and grind, rain or shine
Survive the weather, forget about changing spinners
Throw me a bone, I’m just tryin’ to raise my litter
It made me bitter, eventually made me sicker
So when the heat’s on we don’t get pre-game jitters, uh-uh
We go to work man, diggin’ in dirt, we took ’em to church
We’re checkin’ in some teenage strippers
Livin’ life by the seat of my pants and threepeated, we champs
Undefeated we can’t lose ever whoever wanted with us
Better roll with a camp you trust to cover your ass when your asses can’t
Huh, so bottom’s up, here’s one for the crew
Put some liquor in your gut and tell me what you wanna do, sing it
S, for every sucker left behind
O, what they were yellin’ when I bust a rhyme
B, best believe when it’s time to get it
We grind and jet cause we ain’t got time to kick it
No
S, for the drunk sexy women
O, sippin’ Jack with some Pepsi in it
B, best believe when it’s time to get it
We grind and jet cause we ain’t got time to kick it
Tak:
So let’s get right to it and groove
Ain’t nothin’ but a thing to getcha grippin’ the move
Gotta lovin’ the way we swing when we step on the scene
You know we kill it, goin’ all out, we about to get it
Wow, look at ’em now, their mouths are closed
We done came a long way since 2004
Spilled «Bleach», got the whole entire crowd exposed
The fumes leakin’ in the street, throwin’ down them bowls
Whoa, we on the job, the one with the mob
The fake facades to get it just to make new large
I roll a seven to nine just to break the yards
And step in your mind and unfold the great bizarre
Hit the kill switch, yeah, found my hitch
I’m on the pitcher’s mound for now, it’s me and Will Smith
Finally overseas, I sneak in the mattress
Ain’t nothin’ like a sweet club freak with an accent
We out gettin’ bent makin’ dollar amounts
So if you with me let me see you raise your bottom with shots, say it
S, for every sucker left behind
O, what they were yellin’ when I bust a rhyme
B, best believe when it’s time to get it
We grind and jet cause we ain’t got time to kick it
No
S, for the drunk sexy women
O, sippin’ Jack with some Pepsi in it
B, best believe when it’s time to get it
We grind and jet cause we ain’t got time to kick it
Tak:
So let’s get right to it and groove
Ain’t nothin’ but a thing to getcha grippin’ the move
Gotta lovin’ the way we swing when we step on the scene
You know we kill it, goin’ all out, we about to get it
''Dolla''
Mike:
Yeah, like that Y'all
Uh huh, whoo, like that
Fort Minor, S.O.B.
Yeah, like this, listen
Attention please, I only need a second
To make a mental impression directly on any record so
Give me space to move, room to prove I'm stupid with the P's and Q's
Ladies and gentlemen I'm sending you bending
Pretending the pen is a needle, I'm injecting the venom
And I'll be damned if I let another man get to me
I'll bruise you with a shoe to the family jewelry
I'm back with fury, attack quickly
Sick with a BIC pen, all up in your shit man
You never knew the flow was sick as this
Bitch, listen when I'm letting you know
Got a grip on these tracks that you wish you got
Got a clique full of assholes, I kid you not
So when that mixtape's done and that album drops
Ryu and Tak and me got it loaded and locked, believe it
Ryu:
You still breathing? I'm cocking and squeezing
Tucked still? Nope, I don't give a fuck who sees it
Broad days sitting sideways, stuffed in a small cave
For three fucking weeks 'til you reek like dog waste
Ugh, really, I put a punk in his place
Let's see if he freestyles with a pump in his face
Got something to say? Please, better keep it a secret
The streets got hideous ways of handling beef, bitch
So eat shit, hate it or love it, the underdogs on top
Getting faded telling people to suck it
Bucking 'em down for real while you fucking around
I'm stuck in the house for months tryin to sharpen my skills
So how does it feel? You lames want to claim my throne
You got a better chance getting Danny Hayes on the phone
Good luck, I flame suckers 'til they're black and crispy
Sneaking heat up in the club like a flask of whisky
Tak:
Yeah, I'm here to crack the roof in
You got a nice watch but your raps are useless
You better cut the crap 'fore i snap some nooses
And leave you all snoozing' on some afternoon shit
I hit the streets with a cake and batter for fun
Just to spit bleach in his face
It's lunchtime punk, open the face
Hit you with a punchline 'til you choke on your teeth
Catch me at the show rockin' in that tipsy mode
Like Angels and Demons unlocking DaVinci's Code
One drop in the cannister, people split the globe
Blowing every planet to shit once I hit the road
You in the tight bitch, cut you with apathy
I'm on the night shift see I hustle like cassidy
So kick that shit sound and let the west coast see
One of the illest names, Ribkat from S.O.B.
Green Lantern:
That's right, Fort Minor
We Major, Mike Shinoda, S.O.B.
Heavy Guard, Machine Shop, Linkin Park
You know, man, this is an...
