[Intro: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
This the year of the BlackSmith
Talib Kweli (Kweli), K-1 (K-1), let's go
(Listen)
Yeah, yeah, n***as don't listen
Back in the days we all used to listen
Now shit is so wack, nobody listen
To that real hip-hop (Listen), yo (Listen)

[Chorus: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here, come (Listen)
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you) what?
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait, wait
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute)

[Verse 1: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me ya ears
Start repentin' 'cause the ending is near
But don't (Listen) panic, you can't function if you livin' in fear
Pay attention, you gotta listen to hear
(Wait just a minute) who the fuck you think you talkin' to?
Put you on hold, get a specialist to walk you through
Kweli, the flow captain of fast and slow rappin'
I'm so crackin', you ain't heard? Ya shit appear like closed captions (Come on)
King of the bars and I'm goin' hard, pause (Yeah)
All my confidence comes from knowin' God's Laws (Yeah, listen)
Bangin' on the system, fightin' my kinda war
Loud as a whisper, quiet as a lion's roar
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute)
[Chorus: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here, come (Listen)
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it (Listen), it's for ya spirit so (Listen)
But y'all 'on't hear me though (Listen)
Get up, get into it and get involved (Listen)
There's a little something that I wanna spit for y'all
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait, wait
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute) yeah

[Verse 2: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
Get it now, get it fast, get it right
Get it big, get it locked, get it done, get it tight
(Something I wanna tell you)
But you don't really hear me though (Listen)
I spit clearly (Listen) so it's live out ya stereo (Listen)
To your heart while it's beatin' (Listen) in ya chest (Listen)
When you speakin' to execs and they see behind the desk (Listen)
To ya spirit, nothing weaker than the flesh
So while you try to keep it fresh, you gettin' deeper into debt (Wait just a minute)
Real hip-hop is missin' from the shelf
Yup, it's what you felt when you listen to yourself (Listen)
Only a few is makin' cuts that's spinnin'
So before you spend your hard earned spinach
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute)
[Chorus: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here, come (Listen)
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it (Listen), it's for ya spirit so (Listen)
But y'all 'on't hear me though (Listen)
Get up, get into it and get involved (Listen)
There's a little something that I wanna spit for y'all
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait, wait
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute) yeah

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
You love the sounds comin' out your speaker
I spit rounds like a nine millimeter (Listen)
The youth today, they frown at the teachers
They ain't down with no leaders
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute)
They don't wanna wait just a—
They like, "What? N***a, wait right there"
I got 'Reservoir Dogs', you'll be missin' a right ear (Listen)
Get it clear, I figure it's my year
I'm everywhere, makin' appearances in n***a's nightmares (Wait just a minute)
Hear the word, peep the flow, check the cadence (Listen)
What you heard is a pro, I'm so amazing (Listen)
Don't front, girl, you know it's ya favorite
New Kweli, yo, they runnin' out of patience
(Wait just a minute)
[Chorus: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, here, come (Listen)
Talib Kweli and I'm bangin' on ya eardrum
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it (Listen), it's for ya spirit so (Listen)
But y'all 'on't hear me though (Listen)
Get up, get into it and get involved (Listen)
There's a little something that I wanna spit for y'all
(Something I wanna tell you)
Now lemme get up in it, wait, wait, wait
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute)

[Outro: Talib Kweli & Fred Williams]
Yo, don't it sound so good to you? (Listen)
Uh, it's the return of the greatest, y'all
(Something I wanna tell you)
Talib Kweli, BKMC (Listen)
BlackSmith is the movement (Listen), BlackSmith is the music (Listen)
What you ridin' for?
What you livin' for? (Listen)
What you dyin' for?
(Something I wanna tell you)
Bangin' on ya eardrum, yeah
(Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute
Listen
Wait just, wait just, wait just a minute)