[Intro: Talib Kweli]
Yeah
New Talib Kweli
You know what it is
C'mon

[Chorus: Mary J. Blige & Talib Kweli]
I try, I try
I try, you know I try
I try, I try
I try (K. West, Kweli), you know I try

[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]
Get searched on the plane, Arabic first name
Disturbed by the fame just like Kurt Cobain
Breath of life, kiss of death, my lips pursed the same
You flirt 'til she came
Nothin' hurt like the pain and torture
Daughters of the dust lookin' for a vein
Something to take in vain like the Lord's name
Put your hands together, got 'em all sayin'

[Chorus: Mary J. Blige & Talib Kweli]
I try, I try
I try, you know I try
I try, I try
I try, you know I try (Yo)
[Verse 2: Talib Kweli]
It's all ghetto in gear higher than falsetto
More metal for beef that we don't let the law settle
I try to navigate the treacherous waters of
America's ghettos that set up to slaughter us
But there's more of us (Yeah)
Although we speak in different languages
We all pretty familiar with what anger is
Young and dangerous, trigger stranglers
Get up on some gangsta shit
Guns to bang ya wit'
And we put it on records to entertain ya wit'
Our growing pains get way deeper than Mike Seaver's
Our uniforms is white sneakers and white T-shirts
On top of wife beaters
We like to light reefers
The 'hood need us, but rappers just ain't the right leaders
I put a lot into it
This is my product and I gotta move it
Stop the industry, but you can't stop the music

[Interlude: Mary J. Blige]
An upside down kingdom where life is just not fair (Upside down kingdom)
So many sufferin' 'cause deep inside they're scared (So scared)
Fear pumped into their veins to keep them from their destiny
Where would they be if you and I don't care?
[Chorus: Mary J. Blige & Talib Kweli]
I try
I try, you know I try
I try, I try
I try, you know I try (Yo)

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
The things I'm seein' on the news is insane
A stock broker shoot his kid and throw himself in front the train
A mother leave her baby home for two weeks all by himself
Two years old, eatin' ketchup and mustard, cryin for help
Tryin' to bring your struggle to life
The label want a song about a bubbly life
I have trouble tryin' to write some shit to bang in the club through the night
When people suffer tonight
Lord knows I try

[Chorus: Mary J. Blige]
I try, I try
I try, you know I try
I try, I try
I try, you know I try

[Post-Chorus: Talib Kweli]
Life is a beautiful struggle
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle
Some people usin' the noodle, some people usin' the muscle
Some people put it all together, make it fit like a puzzle
Come on, say it now
Life is a beautiful struggle
People search through the rubble for a suitable hustle
Some people usin' the noodle, some people usin' the muscle
Some people put it all together, yeah
[Outro: Mary J. Blige]
I try
I try, you know I try
I try, Lord knows I try
Every day, I, I—
La-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la-la, la-la
Upside down kingdom
Oh, they're so scared
Every day on the news we can't look around without
Something somewhere
I try, I try, you know I try
I try, I try, I try, you know I try
Lord knows, Lord knows we try, try
Yeah