Definition
Talib Kweli / Mos Def Lyrics

RE Definition, turning your play into a tragedy
The true meaning behind real hip-hop will make people realize how fake they are.

Exhibit level degree on the mic, passionately
My lyrical skills are on a level beyond explanation, and I express them with passion.

Niggas is sweet so I bet if I bit I'd get a cavity
These fake rap artists are so sugary and fake that they make my teeth hurt.

Living to get high, you ain't flyer than gravity
These artists only care about getting high and their mind is not focused on being better than gravity.

We Die Hard like the battery done in the back of me by the mad MC
We are unbreakable like a battery that still functions even when dead, unlike those fake rappers.

Who think imitation is the highest form of flattery, actually
Some people believe that copying others is a way of respecting them, but it's not true and it's disrespectful.

Don't be mad at me, I had to be the one to break it to you
I can't sugarcoat the truth and have to tell it how it is.

You get kicked into obscurity like judo, no Menudo
If you're not authentic, you'll be forgotten and left behind like a bad pop group.

Cause you pseudo, trying to compete with reality like Xerox
Fake artists try to copy real life and compete with it, but it's like trying to copy something with a Xerox machine.

Towards destruction you spiraling like hair locks, wipe them teardrops
Instead of focusing on real issues, these fake artists are spiraling downwards like a bad hairstyle and crying over their own failure.

Chasing stars in your eyes, playing games with your lives
These people are chasing fame and fortune instead of living their actual lives.

Now the wives is widows soaking up pillows, weeping like willows
These fake rappers' wives are now widows, crying and lamenting over their loss.

Still mo' blacks is dying, kids ain't living they trying
Despite all these issues, black people are still dying and kids are not trying to live their lives to the fullest.

"How to Make a Slave" by Willie Lynch is still applying
The system that oppressed black people is still being used and affecting them.

Regardless, the Mos is one of my closest partners
Despite all these issues, Mos Def is still one of my closest friends.

Rocking ever since before Prince was called The Artist
We have been making music for a long time, even before Prince changed his name.

Rocker before Funkmaster Flex was rocking Starter
We have been famous since before Funkmaster Flex was rocking Starter jackets.

When 'Pac and Biggie was still cool before they was martyrs
We were making music before Tupac and Biggie became famous and eventually passed away.

Life or death, if I'm choosing with every breath I'm enhancing
I value my life, and with every breath I take, I am making the most of it.

Stop, there comes a time when you can't run
The time will come where you cannot avoid your truth or your problems - you have to face them eventually.

What, lyrically handsome, call collect a king's ransom
My words hold value and worth like a king's ransom to those who appreciate real hip-hop.

Jams I write soon become the ghetto anthem
The music I create connects with people in the ghetto and become anthems for them.

Way out like Bruce Wayne's mansion, move like a phantom
I am always on the move and out of reach like Bruce Wayne's mansion and a phantom.

You'll talk about me to your grandsons
My legacy is so strong that people will still be talking about me for generations to come.

Cats who claiming they hard be mad fag
These fake rappers are trying to claim that they are tough, but they are really just being fake.

So I run through 'em like, flood water through sandbags
I go through these fake artists like water through sandbags - with ease.

Competition is mad, what I got, they can't have
These fake rappers are angry because they cannot attain the level of real talent that I have.

Sinking they ship, like Moby Dick, did Ahab
My presence and talent have the power to destroy the fake rapper's career, just like Moby Dick ultimately killed Ahab.

Son I'm way past the minimum, enter a millennium
My level of talent and skill is far beyond the minimum, entering into a new millennium.

Where cats will hold a gat to your back, like Palestinians
In this day and age, people will hold guns to your back like the way Palestinians are being oppressed.

Ancient Abyssinian, sure to hold the Gideon
My roots go back to ancient Abyssinia and I am the one to hold the Gideon (guidebook for Rastafarianism).

Official b-boy gentlemen won't turn off at the interim
As official b-boys, we will never turn off and will always be working towards our goals in the interim.

Born inside the winter one, day after December 10
I was born in the winter on December 11th.

These simpletons they mentioning the synonym for feminine
These fake rappers are using words that are synonymous with femininity, showing how inauthentic they are.

Sweeter than some cinnamon, the Danish rings by Entemann's
These fake rappers are sweeter than cinnamon and the Danish rings by Entemann's, showing how fake and sugary they are.

Rush up on adrenaline, and get they asses sent to them
They get a rush of adrenaline, but all they get is their own asses sent to them.

(Gentlemen) you got tenement, well then assemble it!
If you have a plan, put it into action and make it happen, gentlemen.

Leave your unit trembling like herds of moving elephant
Your group will be so afraid that they will tremble like moving herds of elephants.

Intelligent embellishment, follow for your element
My intelligent words are an embellishment, and you should follow them to bring out your true element.

From Flatbush settlement, SKIN possess melanin
I am from Flatbush and my skin has melanin, showing my roots and my culture.

Hotter than tales of crack peddlin', making 'em woop
My music is hotter than the stories of crack dealing, making people go crazy.

Like blue gelatin, swing like Duke Ellington
My rhymes are fluid like blue gelatin and swing like Duke Ellington's music.

Broader than Barrington Levy, believe me
My musical influence extends beyond Barrington Levy's, believe me.

The hot Apache red who burn down your chief teepee
I am like a hot Apache red who could destroy everything you've built, even your chief teepee.

You see me?
Do you see me and my talents?

One two three, Mos Def and Talib Kweli
We are Mos Def and Talib Kweli, ready to succeed.

We came to rock it on to the tip-top
We came to make amazing music and reach the top.

Best alliance in hip-hop, wayoh
We have the best partnership in hip-hop.

Black Star shine eternally
Black Star (our duo) will continue to shine forever.

Because we rulin hip-hop, yes we is rulin' hip-hop
We are ruling the hip-hop world.

Talib Kweli is rulin' hip-hop
Talib Kweli is one of the leaders in hip-hop.

Say we Black Star we rule hip-hop-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
We are the Black Star and we rule the hip-hop world.

Whoah!
Surprise or excitement at the end of the song.