Chain Remains
Naughty By Nature Lyrics

Too many of my people got time, it shows as crime unfolds
The high number of people who are incarcerated is a result of the rising crime rate in society.

Many snap in a trap now new minds explode
The confinement of individuals in prison is causing them to lose their minds.

Learn the ability to find their goals
In prison, individuals must learn to set and achieve goals to better themselves.

Locked in a facility where time is froze
People in prison are stuck in a facility where time seems to stand still.

God knows the heart hurts to see no sky, just dirt
Being confined to a prison cell and not being able to see the sky is very painful.

They give a man a cell quick before they give a man work
People are being sent to prison at a faster rate than they are being offered employment opportunities.

So we get into this black, this black cat syndrome
The feeling of being trapped and hopeless is similar to the experience of a black cat living on the street.

Grow older like there's no heart and no soul ingrown
Being trapped in prison for so long can cause individuals to lose their humanity and core values.

Bars and cement instead of help for our people
People in prison are not being helped to better themselves, but rather just being kept in confinement.

Jails ain't nothing but the slave day sequel
Modern-day jails are just a continuation of the slave trade system that existed in the past.

Trying to flee the trap of this nation
People in prison are trying to escape the trap of being incarcerated in a system that is rigged against them.

Seeing penitentiary's the plan ta plant the new plantation
Sending more and more people to prison is like planting the seeds of a new profitable system for those in charge.

They say we'll take the animals from cottons and crops
In the past, slaves were taken from the fields to produce cotton and crops. In the present, prisoners are being used for different types of labor.

Straight to forgotten wit locks plotting to rotting our stocks
People in prison are being used and then forgotten about as their worth decreases and they are left to rot.

They draw a crooked line and wait for your foot ta fall under
The criminal justice system is waiting for individuals to slip up and give them a reason to send them to prison.

Serving most of my brothers another football number
Most of the people in prison are black men, and they are given a number like a player on a football team.

Judges look at our seeds, these brothers, like enemies
Judges view people in the system as problems to be eliminated, rather than individuals who need help.

Saying "We don't need G's", giving out years like free cheese
The criminal justice system is giving out prison sentences like they are giving away free cheese, without care for the individuals involved.

Free please, nigga, ain't no freedom
The idea of true freedom and fairness in the criminal justice system is just an illusion for black people.

Nowadays still we're captured, still hear wicked laughter while shackled
Even today, black people are still being captured and abused in the criminal justice system.

We're beaten and battered then cuffed after we're tackled
Police officers use excessive force against black people and then arrest them for resisting.

We're tugged while increasing the mugged and indecent
Black people are being harassed by police officers, who are becoming more and more corrupt.

Hit one more time wit a black jack then dragged in the precinct
Police officers use extreme force against black people and then take them to the police station to be interrogated.

The days of the riots ain't retired
Black people are still fighting for justice and equality, just as they did during the time of riots in the past.

But brothers staying calm 'cause they soldiers
Black people are staying strong and continuing to fight for their rights, even in the face of adversity.

Til when the only solutions revolution, no we told ya
The only way to truly change the system is through a revolution, as nothing else seems to be working.

Stuck in a land where we ain't meant to survive
Black people are living in a society that is stacked against them and makes it difficult for them to succeed.

And I hope this don't suit ya, some work
I hope that this message does not fall on deaf ears, and instead motivates people to take action.

Like a slave ta get a hit but won't work to save for a future
Black people are being forced to work and engage in criminal activity just to survive, but are not being given the opportunity to save for their future.

And that's when the cost is the man within
People are losing their humanity and soul as a result of being trapped in the criminal justice system.

And we're just as lost as the land we in
Black people feel just as lost and helpless as their community and environment.