Welcome To America
Black Thought Lyrics

Welcome to America
Black Thought welcomes the listener to America

Where you can dream, as long as you can breathe
America allows everyone to dream and aspire for greatness as long as they are alive

You can be the muthafuckin' President of United States
Anyone can become the President of the United States

Or get murdered right on these streets
America is a country of contrasts where one can also get killed on its streets

The sins of the father, my pop gave me to suffer
Black Thought's father's legacy left him to suffer from the consequences of his actions

The friends I would follow was crack babies and hustlas
Black Thought was influenced by people who faced drug addiction and criminal activities

It's steel sharpen steel on the block, made me a cutler
The harsh realities of the streets helped to sharpen Black Thought's skills and survival instincts

My pen is from the future like Octavia Butler
Black Thought's writing has a futuristic insight like that of science fiction writer Octavia Butler

My grandmother sutured a flag from bloody cotton
Black Thought's grandmother made a flag from cotton that represented the blood of slaves who worked on plantations

The fruits of her labor alas already rotten
The results of all the hard work done by Black Thought's ancestors were already spoiled by the time he came of age

My man said, "Yo, it's crazy how fast that we've forgotten"
Black Thought's friend commented on how quickly society forgets the struggles of the past

That we used to pull boxes and plows like we were oxen and cows
Black Thought's ancestors used to work like animals and were treated with no respect

Without an option, and now it's this glorious
Despite having no options in the past, the current generation is achieving glory

Victorious, story only pitched, for me to shut it down
Black Thought doesn't believe the story of victory has been fully told and wants to continue to point out injustices

They sold some of us down the rivers
Black people were sold and transported like goods during the slave trade

It's such a poor level of thought, I get the shivers
The horrendous ways African Americans have been treated is so awful that it sends chills down Black Thought's spine

It's insidious and it's always been hideous
The way the system treated African Americans is evil and has been for a long time

I had to tread water and run, be amphibious
Black Thought had to be able to handle any situation that came his way to survive

They do you so dirty for one, yo what's cleanliness?
The system treats Black people terribly for no good reason

It make you wanna let off a gun, until the emptiness like
The frustration of being treated poorly to the point of wanting to shoot someone is overwhelming

Preach now lover, preach now lover
A call for someone to speak the truth and stand up for what is right

Got me runnin', runnin', runnin', runnin'
Black Thought is always on the move, running away from danger and fighting for what he believes in

Land of the brave, and home of the free
America is known for being the country that prides itself on bravery and freedom

You can be a saint or a sinner, or a billionaire
People can be anything in America, no matter their moral compass or financial status

Or just stand on your feet
People can simply exist in America without being anything extraordinary

And that's what we cannot lose
Despite the problems, America still has power in its people and that is something that cannot be lost

Got my eye on the sparrow
Black Thought is always on the lookout and aware of his surroundings

Tomorrow may not come, at least my soul felt this love
Black Thought is appreciating the moments he has because tomorrow is never guaranteed

For every lost body, crossed, tarred, feathered, and tossed
For every African American who lost their lives due to atrocities such as lynching, Black Thought remembers and honors them

It's no way I could measure the course, or ever exhaust
The suffering and injustices faced by Black people in America cannot be fully measured or expressed

But whether it's yours or mine, this American clause
The issues and system affecting Black Americans is a problem for everyone in America, not just the Black population

Has never been solved, while history was runnin' its course
The systemic issues that America faces have been around for a long time and have yet to be corrected

I ran hard from Jamestown, where slaves Jesus and found
Black Thought tried to escape his past in Jamestown, where slaves were forced to find refuge in religion

Demons that never be charged with malfeasance, I sat
People responsible for causing harm to the Black population have never been held accountable for their actions

Through they revival, although I never found credence, I found
Black Thought never found any solace in organized religion but found hope in other places

That we had never know shit about freedom
Despite the idea of America being a country of freedom, the Black population has never truly experienced true freedom and equality

I been charged with treason, I been scarred and freezin'
Black Thought has faced criminal charges and has been left traumatized and cold by the system

I been called a nigga, and then called a heathen
People have attacked Black Thought both racially and religiously

When hounds found me, they couldn't even tell if I was breathin'
Black Thought has been so abused by the system that he's been mistaken for dead

In America where on black man it's open season
Black people are treated like animals to be hunted in America