In the Dust
2 Live Crew Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will lick your funky emotion
Is this America? Yeah
Is this freedom? No
Is this Democracy? No
Is equality? No
What do we want?
Taking this shit into the effect mode
Expressing my feelings before I exploded
About the suffering passed on to a black man
By the money hungry seeking white man
Fucking up our streets with pollution
Then lock a nigga up for the solution
There they go again pickin' on the little man
Fuck wit' the cartel or the white man
Arrest musicians for the things they say
But can't find a crime after it got sprayed
This is America in God we trust
We won just this but a dick is in the dust
I'm stereotype so I fit the description
A nigga has the stigma for pushing or pimpin'
Police harass me and public embarrass me
They use brutality without asking me
I'm mad 'cause I was caught and reached for his license
Cops pulls the gun and cold ice
Then I'm a victim of society I got societal ills
It's harder to pay bills than pop pills
They send a brother off to fight for your country
When ask for ours, we get nothing
I look for work and get my feelings hurt
They got my back against the wall and my dick is in the dirt
Let's talk about this man, they call Nino Brown
The black man, they call Nino brown
You know there's a lot of Nino Browns in every city
In the United States of America
America had formed a Nino Brown in every city
Basically because we have no way out
Ah, is that what America really wants us to think
That we don't have way out?
Here's an example, you have never seen
A black man come into Miami
With pounds and pounds of marijuana
Pounds and pounds of cocaine
You have never seen a black man drop off
A kilo load of cocaine out of a plane, you have never seen this
But yet it is still is in our community everyday
And we're the ones going to jail for it
The system is designed to lead us to stray
So we turn to drugs and guns for our pay
It's the sign of the times
I gotta get mine all I live is a life of crime
I come up hard from the ran down ghetto
You talk your ass off but tell me what a nigga know
All I see is a lot of neighborhood drama
Babies crying, I wonder where's the mama
C.O.D. and got rushed to trauma
A dealer had to deal to make a fast buck
She was just a patient, what the fuck?
His back's against the wall and his dick's in the dust
The lyrics of 2 Live Crew's "In the Dust" touch on themes of police brutality, racial inequality, and the systemic oppression of Black people in America. The opening lines "If you would suck my soul, I will lick your funky emotion" suggest a mutual exchange of emotional intimacy, but the subsequent lyrics reveal a complicated reality where freedom, democracy, and equality do not exist for Black people in America. The song addresses the environmental racism that pollutes Black neighborhoods and the unjust legal system that disproportionately affects Black people. The lyrics also reference the stereotype of the Black man as a drug dealer or pimp and the societal pressures that push Black people towards a life of crime. The final line, "His back's against the wall and his dick's in the dust," sums up the feeling of hopelessness and desperation that many Black people feel in a society that doesn't value their lives and wellbeing.
Line by Line Meaning
If you would suck my soul
If you would deeply understand me and empathize with me
I will lick your funky emotion
I will reciprocate and provide you with positive emotions
Is this America? Yeah
Is this really the America we believe in? Sadly, yes
Is this freedom? No
This is not the freedom we deserve
Is this Democracy? No
Our democracy is not working for us
Is equality? No
We are still far from achieving equality for all
What do we want?
What we want is
Freedom
Freedom from oppression and inequality
Taking this shit into the effect mode
Expressing myself with raw and powerful emotions
Expressing my feelings before I exploded
Voicing my frustrations and anger before I reach my limit
About the suffering passed on to a black man
Highlighting the unfair treatment and discrimination faced by black people
By the money hungry seeking white man
Caused by the greed and selfishness of white people
Fucking up our streets with pollution
Destroying our environment and health through carelessness
Then lock a nigga up for the solution
Punishing black people for problems created by others
There they go again pickin' on the little man
Targeting powerless groups instead of addressing real issues
Fuck wit' the cartel or the white man
Challenging those who benefit from these injustices
Arrest musicians for the things they say
Suppressing freedom of speech, even among artists
But can't find a crime after it got sprayed
Unable to produce evidence, but still silencing voices
This is America in God we trust
This is America, a country that claims to be godly
We won just this but a dick is in the dust
We have achieved some victories, but still have a long way to go
I'm stereotype so I fit the description
I am judged based on my appearance, not my actions
A nigga has the stigma for pushing or pimpin'
Black people are unfairly associated with criminal behavior
Police harass me and public embarrass me
Law enforcement unfairly targets and humiliates me
They use brutality without asking me
They use excessive force without provocation
I'm mad 'cause I was caught and reached for his license
I am upset because I followed the rules, but still got mistreated
Cops pull the gun and cold ice
Police are quick to escalate situations with violence
Then I'm a victim of society I got societal ills
I am a product of this broken system, which causes me problems
It's harder to pay bills than pop pills
Surviving financially is a struggle, and sometimes drugs seem like the only escape
They send a brother off to fight for your country
The government asks black people to fight for a country that doesn't treat them fairly
When ask for ours, we get nothing
When we ask for help or equality, we are ignored
I look for work and get my feelings hurt
Employment discrimination is a real issue, and it affects our self-esteem
They got my back against the wall and my dick is in the dirt
We are in a tough spot, with little hope of improvement
Let's talk about this man, they call Nino Brown
Let's discuss how black people are often portrayed as villains
The black man, they call Nino Brown
Many black people are unfairly stigmatized and persecuted
You know there's a lot of Nino Browns in every city
There are many people like this, regardless of race or background
In the United States of America
In a country that claims to be just and equal
America had formed a Nino Brown in every city
Our society creates these negative personas, and it's not just a black thing
Basically because we have no way out
There are few opportunities available to people stuck in certain circumstances
Ah, is that what America really wants us to think
Is this the message our country is sending us?
That we don't have way out?
That we are trapped and hopeless?
Here's an example, you have never seen
Let me show you something you may not be aware of
A black man come into Miami
A black drug dealer entering an American city
With pounds and pounds of marijuana
Transporting large quantities of drugs
Pounds and pounds of cocaine
Smuggling cocaine across state lines
You have never seen a black man drop off
You have never witnessed this firsthand
A kilo load of cocaine out of a plane, you have never seen this
Air trafficking of large drug quantities, hidden from plain sight
But yet it is still in our community everyday
Despite this, drugs are still widely prevalent in our society
And we're the ones going to jail for it
Black people are disproportionately incarcerated for drug-related crimes
The system is designed to lead us to stray
The structures of our society make it difficult for us to choose the right path
So we turn to drugs and guns for our pay
So we resort to crime to make a living
It's the sign of the times
This is a reflection of our current social climate
I gotta get mine all I live is a life of crime
I feel I have no other choice, and am stuck in this cycle of criminal activity
I come up hard from the ran down ghetto
I grew up in a poor and dangerous neighborhood
You talk your ass off but tell me what a nigga know
You may think you know what it's like, but you can't truly understand unless you've lived it
All I see is a lot of neighborhood drama
My community is rife with conflicts and struggles
Babies crying, I wonder where's the mama
I witness the heartbreaking effects of poverty and neglect
C.O.D. and got rushed to trauma
Someone died in our community and was quickly forgotten
A dealer had to deal to make a fast buck
Drug dealers often turn to this life to make ends meet
She was just a patient, what the fuck?
The healthcare system often neglects the most vulnerable and needy
His back's against the wall and his dick's in the dust
We are running out of options and are at rock bottom
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALLEN TOUSSAINT, MARK ROSS, CHRISTOPHER WONGWON, RICHARD TERRY, MICHAEL MCCRAY, LUTHER RODERICK CAMPBELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SuperPinga123
2022!!! This joint still go hard and it’s full of TRUTH!
@Galvatron83
2023👏🏾👏🏾
@Elephantnuts
This jam is ridiculously slept on. This jam makes you wanna put on the thickest rope chain that can fit on your neck and a furriest Kangol hat that has ever been made 😎
@ComptonJune
Oldschool music always turns me up…miss the old days
@sdawg4834
If I had a JEEP I would have to jam this!!
@johngotti4062
SDAWG you need see if thay rent out Jeeps but it gots to look like the one in the movie and get you a Kangaroo hat thay were wereing and you'll be DOPED
@johnsonworld9278
I see myself rolling in a jeep too
@quiseg35
new jack city
@LITMOVIESCENES
@@johnsonworld9278 i went and got one ..all black...
@jamesbrocklehurst8611
Jam it anyways