Prisoner 1 & 2
Lupe Fiasco Lyrics

Mislaid plan make a mess made
A poorly executed plan resulted in chaos and confusion

Damnation, let's play hands and spades
In the face of condemnation, let's fight and resist

That's without, a boycott and a sit-out
That's without participating in protests and civil disobedience

Afro-Black pick in with a fist out
Black activists fighting for their rights with determination

From the 'welcome home' to the kick out
From the celebration of release to the harsh reality of being expelled

Reach into a rabbit, pull a trick out
Finding unexpected solutions or strategies

Preacher preaching to a faggot with his dick out
A hypocritical preacher addressing someone they condemn

Hard times call for armed time
Difficult situations require defensive action

Sick, sick, sick eyes from the nose pressure
Suffering from a corrupt and oppressive system

Police snip, zip ties on the protesters
Law enforcement using force to control and restrict peaceful demonstrators

Six wives in the fry of a molester
Victims of sexual abuse suffering in silence

Met him at a caviar bar out in Odessa
Encountering someone wealthy and privileged in an unexpected place

Dirty needles breaking all the old records
Engaging in harmful behaviors, surpassing previous limits

A hundred hoes, one shovel and some old treasure
Having many superficial relationships and a limited sense of fulfillment

Ole Zeke use teeth as a gold tester
An individual using unconventional methods to judge someone's worth

Finger rolls, finger waves, closet full of old leathers
Embracing outdated fashion trends and personal style

Old sweaters, old boots, that's a whole suit for some cold weather
Making do with limited resources during harsh times

New sale, two L's and some old letters
Getting caught up in illegal activities and holding onto past correspondences

Now he doing double life, while she lead a double life
One person serving a lengthy prison sentence while their partner lives a deceitful existence

Man, he need another wife
Craving companionship and support

New approach might help a nigga bowl better
Adopting a different strategy could lead to personal improvement

New hoes might help a nigga hold together
Having multiple romantic partners might help with emotional stability

Or will the new lane lead em' to the same pen
Will choosing a different path only lead to the same prison

And the hunger strike in em' to the same tin
Resistance and protest ultimately resulting in punishment and confinement

Love is looking over various errors
Love observes and forgives mistakes and imperfections

And hate is habitually accelerating terror
Hatred consistently fuels violence and fear

I just wanna be collected when I call God damn
I desire to be calm and composed when addressing God

I don't wanna be accepted not as all as I am
I don't want to be embraced only partially for who I truly am

Visitor, visitor, prisoner, prisoner, land
Being treated as a visitor even in one's own country, feeling trapped and confined

Getting slammed from the protest, no food
Facing physical abuse from participating in demonstrations and lacking sustenance

Force fed him like OB with a nose tube
Being forcefully fed like a prisoner on a hunger strike

Visions say consult the yogi with the gold shoes
Intuition suggests seeking guidance from the spiritually enlightened

With the Rollie going bowling for the old school
Using a luxury watch as a symbol of asserting dominance over traditional values

I need more for the Michaels
Desiring additional resources or support in difficult times

That's a loss for the class, and a score for the rifles
Society's upper class may suffer, but the weapons industry benefits from conflict

Three hots and a cot, and some cops
The basic necessities provided in prison along with law enforcement presence

Trying to find dinosaurs in the Bible
Engaging in futile and misguided pursuits

It's all quiet in the jail-house
A sense of calm and silence permeates the prison

Then they ride in to find the empty cells out
Authorities discover that the cells are empty and someone has escaped

They was looking for the swords, they was looking for the swords
They were searching for weapons or evidence of violence

I'm just looking at they feet, 'cause I'm looking for the lord
Observing their actions and behavior to discern their true intentions and character

Looking in the library, looking at the law
Searching for answers and guidance in books and legal principles

10 years deep, now I'm looking at the bar
Having spent a long time incarcerated, now contemplating legal representation

Claim sovereignty, because I'm bunkin' with the morons
Asserting independence and autonomy by aligning with fellow inmates

They degenerate, they ain't looking at the game
They are morally corrupt and not considering the consequences of their actions

They just looking at the scores, they be putting on my books
They are focused on their own personal gains and manipulating the system for their benefit

Cause I'm looking at the stars, trade a shank for some crank
Setting ambitious goals and aiming for success, willing to sacrifice dangerous items for personal advancement

Now I'm looking at a war, BGF got the yard
Confronted with a conflict and facing a powerful inmate group

AV got the kitchen snitches on PC
A particular inmate has control over the kitchen and informants on protective custody

Eminem on a mission, but CO's got the prison
An inmate named Eminem is attempting something, but the correctional officers maintain control of the facility

God got us all, God set us free
Believing that ultimate freedom and liberation comes from a higher power

God is the key, but the guards got the doors
Recognizing the contradiction that while freedom is obtained through faith, the prison authorities hold the power to grant or deny freedom

Punching on the glass, stare at some killer
Engaging in a futile act of aggression against an imposing figure

Might fuck him in the ass
Possibly seeking revenge or retribution in a degrading manner

Staff getting rigid, wasn't gonna take away the visits
Prison personnel becoming more strict, but not yet eliminating visitation rights

Segregate niggas by theyself and make 'em stay with it
Forcing individuals to be isolated and endure the consequences of their actions

Wicked, swung the shank around on a mop string
Engaging in violent acts, using a makeshift weapon

They had to pull him out the cell with a SWAT Team
Requiring a heavily armed response to remove a dangerous prisoner from their cell

That's a cop team, they sent hella cops, to stop, the helicoptering
A team of police officers dispatched to stop any potential escape attempts

Man, he thought that he'd fly away, like a kite, take flight
Believing he could escape and be free, like a soaring kite

Like a letter on a string, like propellers on a wing
Like objects that are propelled or controlled, hoping to gain freedom

But they can't find the key
The authorities have not found the means by which he could escape

They made electric chairs for his dying days
Preparing instruments of execution for his eventual death

Last meals, no appeals for him to try and stay
Offering final meals, while denying any further legal appeals to prolong his life

On Death Row like Suge and the late Pac
Facing a future of death just like the notorious Suge Knight and the deceased Tupac Shakur

Maybe he could dig a tunnel out of A Block
Considering the possibility of escaping through an underground tunnel from a specific cell block

And wear gloves for the razor-wired gate top
Taking precautions and using protective gear to overcome physical barriers

Scared thugs going crazy in a caged box
Fearful individuals becoming overwhelmed and losing sanity in a confined space

Looking at the world through the TV
Observing the outside world and events through a television screen

And they gone, rapping over beats from the tabletops
Feeling disconnected from reality and resorting to imagining or creating their own music

Ay! That's how it is in a police state
Expressing the reality of living in a society controlled by oppressive policing

When your life is just a number and release date
When one's worth and existence are reduced to a mere statistic and anticipated time of release

When you're rehabilitated so correctly
When the system claims to have successfully reformed and corrected one's behavior

And let's hope that's how you're living when you're set free
Expressing the desire that someone will truly live according to their supposed reformation upon release

They sell they souls
They compromise their integrity for personal gain

They sell they selves
They sacrifice their identity and true selves

They ain't twelve, they old
They are not innocent or naive, but experienced and corrupted

Niggas old as hell
People who have been trapped and imprisoned for a long time

Old as jail, old as cells
As old as the prison itself, locked away in confinement

Sold so much salt, ain't no more salt on the shelves
Having deceived others and profited, leaving none of their deceptive tactics available

You a prisoner too, you living here too
Referring to someone in a position of authority as being a prisoner within the system as well

You just like us, til' your shift get through
Recognizing that those in power are also subject to the system's control until their duty shifts end

You could look like us, you know shit get through
Even if you can blend in and relate to us, you still don't experience the same level of suffering

You should be in cuffs like us, you should get strike 2
Implying that those in power should face the same consequences and punishments as the prisoners

You should get like life, you should get like woo!
Suggesting that those in authority should be sentenced to lifelong imprisonment or a similar fate

You should get that twice! You should get refused
Urging that they be denied privileges and opportunities just as prisoners are

The open road, that's no parole, and no control
Freedom without restrictions, limitations, or surveillance

Over your own soul, so control, your own remote control, that your folks can hold
Taking charge of one's own destiny, having autonomy and not being influenced or manipulated by others

Better watch these niggas (en garde)
Cautioning to be wary and vigilant of certain individuals

If it was up to me, I would never unlock these niggas
Expressing a desire to keep certain people confined and unable to cause harm

Wouldn't rehabilitate, man, I would just box these niggas and throw away the key
Rejecting the notion of reforming individuals and suggesting a more punitive approach

I'd throw away the key like the coast guard watching me
Discarding the means of escape and ensuring constant surveillance and control

5th year with the DOC
Having spent five years incarcerated with the Department of Corrections

You can see what's CO see
Gaining insight into what the correctional officers observe and experience

Robocop opt his COP
Comparing the rigid and authoritarian behavior of correctional officers to that of fictional robotic law enforcement

3 hots and a C-O-T
Being provided with three meals a day and a place to sleep

Lived in a small town, his whole life
Having spent their entire life in a limited and confined environment

Never left, soundin' like the hole, right?
Avoiding exploration or escape, reinforcing the oppressive nature of the prison

Either working at the prison, or it's no lights
Either being employed within the prison system or facing a lack of opportunities and resources

In the system working with the pol-ice
Being complicit with law enforcement in maintaining the prison system

In the prison stripping niggas for rights
Depriving individuals of their rights and dignity within the prison environment

Got a malice, on the other side of the bars
Having animosity and ill-will towards inmates while being on the side of authority

Watching niggas get smart, watching niggas get strong
Observing incarcerated individuals better themselves intellectually and physically

Watching niggas get home, he jealous
Feeling envious of those who are released from prison

But deep down he jealous
Feeling jealousy even if he suppresses or denies it

With each sweep down, he tell us
Using disciplinary measures to assert control and dominance over the inmates

With each peep down, he help us
Even though he may not intend to, his scrutiny and monitoring inadvertently provide insights and assistance to the inmates

Wrong one gon' knock his ass out though
At some point, someone will retaliate and physically harm him

It's why he gotta lock all the niggas out for
For his own safety and to prevent potential confrontations, he isolates the inmates

Warden told the boy he better calm down
The prison warden warns the officer to control his actions and behavior

Step back from the brink and put the bomb down
Advising him to refrain from engaging in destructive or harmful behavior

But how the whole world in your palm sound?
Questioning the extent of authority and control one possesses

It's why they treat niggas like shit
Explaining the mistreatment and lack of respect directed towards inmates

Writing raps to the taps, keep the face mask on 'em these niggas might spit!
Using coded messages in lyrics to communicate and protect themselves, as the authorities may be listening