[Intro: Ekemini Uwan]
Peace does not come before salvation and salvation does not come without truth
[Chorus]
Am
I will only tell the truth
Em Am
I will only tell the truth
Incoming!
Am
Truth, truth, truth, truth
Am
Truth, truth, truth, truth, truth
[Verse 1]
Am
People wonderin', "Is he woke or just a new slave?"
Am
Old religion, he just covered it with new chains
Am
Choppin' out the church, he ain't really fake
Am Em
He divisive, he don't rep the King, he just want the fame
Am
Aw man, now they actin' like I'm suddenly political
Am Em
Told me shut my mouth and get my checks from Evangelicals
Am
Where my momma raised me, on Angela and Eldridge
Am Em
Chuck Berry made it, but the credit went to Elvis
Am
Know you never knew that, know you think I'm too black
Am Dm Em
I just think I'm too real, I grew up on 2Pac
Am
You grew up thinkin' that the Panthers was some terrorists
Am Em
I grew up hearin' how they fed my momma eggs and grits
Am
"'Crae, they say you should follow in the steps of King"
Am Dm Em
I say, "You've forgotten how they shot him in the streets"
Am
I ain't really changed, it's the same old rebel
Am Dm Em
Still a radical, I'm passionate, it's just another level (leggo!)
Am
AT told me I should fight back
Am
They don't like that (they don't)
Am
Just know if you rock the boat you better have a life raft (what?)
Am
BJ told me I should fight back
Am
They don't like that
Am
Just know if you rock the boat you better have a life raft, woo!
[Chorus: Ekemini Uwan]
Em Am
I will only tell the truth (facts)
People cannot abide by a truth. They prefer fantasy over reality... (facts)
Em Am
I will only tell the truth
Am
I am for truth no matter who tells it
Am
I will only tell the truth
I am for justice no matter who it is for or against (facts)
[Verse 2]
Am
Rose up out the dungeon
Am
I was feelin' haunted
Am
Now I'm bein' hunted
Am
And I'm on a hunnid
Am
Hit the gas, gunning
Am
Skip the past running
Am
Tell 'em they could bring that
Dm Em
If they really want it
Am
I, I'm on the hometeam
Am
You just running with the wrong team
Am
Never take 'em with the heavyweights or, boy, you'll die and need a little protein
Am
Southside on the Yellowstone, had a ham bone and a white tee
Am
And a 12-pack of that real talk and I'm drunk, tell 'em, "Come find me"
Am Dm Em
Draped up, dripped out, covered in the blood
Am Dm Em
Man, I hang where they cripped out, sippin' on the mud
Am
Where they swingin', got the whips out, watch 'em pop trunk
Am
Yeah, I know it's hella dark, but I'm tryna light it up
Am
Now these people swear they on me, sendin' out threats
Am
Told me keep my mouth shut, told me be a Stepin Fetchit
Am
I will not oblige to your colonized way of faith
Am
My Messiah died for the world, not just USA
Am
They say, "Jesus was Conservative"
Dm Em
Tell 'em, "That's a lie"
Am
No, He not a Liberal either if you think I'll choose a side
Am
They say, "'Crae, you so divisive, shouldn't be a black church"
Am Dm Em
I say, "Do the math, segregation started that first!"
Am
Hey, you want unity? Then read a eulogy
Am
Kill the power that exists up under you and over me
Am
I said, you want unity? Then read a eulogy
Am
Kill the power that exists up under you and over me, woo! (facts)
[Spoken]
Am
So reconciliation or conciliation requires defrauded parties to be made whole. Not just apologizing for the offense
[Verse 3]
N.C.
I was waitin' for the right time to tell y'all how I feel
N.C.
And, yeah, I know that it hurts, but look, it's gon' heal
Cm
I waited 'til I was on prime time before I let y'all know
F Dm
And you prolly won't wanna hear my music no mo'
Gm Cm
But it's all good, man, I love y'all
F
Hope you know that I'm black black
Dm Gm
Traded my Smart Car for a Cadillac, can you handle that?
Cm
And I love God
F
I love Jesus, the one out of Nazareth
Dm
Not the European with the ultra perm and them soft eyes and them thin lips
Cm
And I'm still hood
F
Been in the 'burbs for quite some time
Dm Gm
But I still might hit the gas station for the Lemonheads and the pork rinds
Cm
And I'm on one
F
Yeah, 116 been real
Dm Gm
Binghamton, Tennessee, from Third Ward to Ceiling Hill
Cm F
And I live in multiple world, call me a hybrid 'cause I'm so black
Dm Gm
Young theologian who educated, but still be at that Chicken Shack, yeah
[Outro]
A#
Lemme get a two piece