Do The Right Thing
Redhead Kingpin & The F.B.I. Lyrics

Do the right thing, not talking about a black or white thing
Redhead Kingpin & The F.B.I. encourage doing the right thing without any consideration of skin color.

'Cause that will cause conflict to make this thing legit
Focusing on race would only create more problems and wouldn't solve anything.

But your definition of legit and illegitimate
People have different ideas of what is right and wrong.

Is confusion now the Redhead one has said
This confusion over what is right and wrong is what Redhead Kingpin is addressing.

To make things clearer, 'cause in about a year or two
Redhead Kingpin aims to clear up this confusion before it's too late.

What you do is take a look up in the mirror
Reflect on your actions and beliefs.

And what you see is the image of hate
If you've been acting hatefully towards others, you'll see that reflected in your own image.

That you shed upon the others of sisters and the brothers (ah yeah)
You've been projecting your hate onto those around you, including your own community.

Now in my opinion, you need someone to teach
According to Redhead Kingpin, people need a teacher to guide them to do what's right.

The whole world is acting like a giant Howard Beach
The entire world is full of ignorance and prejudice (a reference to a racially charged incident in Howard Beach, Queens).

I asked my man Victor, what he used to do for fun
Redhead Kingpin shares a story about his friend Victor.

He said, he learned to shoot a gun before the age of twenty-one
Victor's youthful pastimes involved violence and danger.

Crime and abortion, all kinds of mind distortion
Violent and destructive actions lead to a warped sense of reality.

This is very important but just a little caution
Redhead Kingpin stresses the importance of being mindful of your actions and choices.

Of what you can do, here's a clue and it's true, yo
Redhead Kingpin is about to give a useful piece of advice.

Don't wanna burn your sweater, make your life better (ah yeah)
It's better to focus on improving yourself and your situation than engaging in destructive behavior.

Brothers are stealin' and dealin' and big wheelin'
Some members of the African American community are involved in illegal and dangerous activities.

And to a younger mind that stuff is appealin'
These actions may seem exciting and tempting to young people.

So what do they do, they gather up a crew
People band together to engage in these activities rather than seeking positive pursuits.

Go out and steal and rob instead of gettin' a job
Rather than earning money through legal, productive means, some people turn to crime.

Now your mother tried to bring you up better than that
Redhead Kingpin points out that these actions go against the values that people were raised with.

The same way she loved you, you loved her right back
It's important to show love and gratitude towards those who raised you.

But now you think you're grown and you argue a lot
People often feel that they know better than those who raised them.

Over money you got from dealin' stuff on the block (ah yeah)
Arguments often stem from the illegal and dangerous activities people engage in to earn money.

Now you're not the only one in the world that has problems
Everyone faces challenges and difficulties in life.

Keep your head straight and you can surely solve them
Stay focused and level-headed and you can overcome any problem.

Be a fly guy and reach sky high
Redhead Kingpin encourages people to strive for success and greatness.

And like the Jeffersons, you get a piece of the pie
If you work hard and make smart decisions, you can achieve financial success (a reference to the TV show The Jeffersons).

I hope you take heed to the message I brought
Redhead Kingpin hopes that people will listen to his message.

In another word, the lesson I taught
The message Redhead Kingpin is conveying is an important lesson.

The Redhead kick a lyric but I won't sing
Redhead Kingpin is delivering his message through his lyrics rather than singing.

And the FBI Crew wants you, and you and you to do the right thing
Redhead Kingpin and The F.B.I. Crew are encouraging everyone to do what's right.

And Manhattan, you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to people in Manhattan.

Brooklyn, you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to people in Brooklyn.

And the Bronx you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to people in the Bronx.

Queen's Island, you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to people in Queens Island.

Long Island, you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to people in Long Island.

Staten Island, you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to people in Staten Island.

On the West Coast, you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to people on the West Coast.

Everybody, everybody in the world, you got to do the right thing
The message to do what's right applies to everyone in the world.

It's better to focus on doing what's right and improving yourself and your situation than engaging in destructive behavior.
The underlying message of the song is that people should make good choices to improve their communities and their own lives.