You should've been downtown (ayy)
The people are risin' (yeah)
We thought it was a lockdown (what?)
They opened the fire (damn)
Them bullets was flyin' (ooh)
Who said it was a lockdown? Goddamn lie
Oh my, time heals all but you outta time now (now)
Judge gotta watch us from the clock tower (true)
Lil' tear gas cleared the whole place out
I'll be back with the hazmat for the next round
We was tryin' to protest, then the fires broke out
Look out for the secret agents, they be planted in the crowd
Said, "It's civil unrest" but you sleep so sound
Like you don't hear the screams when we catchin' beatdowns
Stayin' quiet when they killin' niggas, but you speak loud
When we ride, got opinions comin' from a place of priv'
Sicker than the COVID, how they did him on the ground
Speakin' of the COVID, is it still goin' around?
Oh, won't you tell me 'bout the lootin', what's that really all about?
'Cause they throw away black lives like paper towels
Plus unemployment rate, what, forty million now?
Killed a man in broad day, might never see a trial
We just wanna break chains like slaves in the South
Started in the North End but we in the downtown
Riot cops try to block, now we gotta show down
(Citizens of Los Angeles) damn
(I hereby declare this to be an unlawful assembly)
(And in the name of the people of the State of California)
You should've been downtown
The people are risin' (right here)
We thought it was a lockdown
They opened the fire
Them bullets was flyin' (lockdown)
Who said it was a lockdown? Goddamn lie ('cause they tell us to)
And downtown, where I got popped with the rubber bullet
Tre pound, got it in my name now, I'ma shoot it
Never understand why they do it
Someone cut the channel off the news 'fore I loose it
I ain't even trippin', if you wit' it then we lootin' (nah)
Help me put this Louis in the back of Suzuki (ooh), o-he
Had to break it down so smoothly (slow)
They gon' say, "It's not about race," but we movin', ho, pow (okay)
Got the tre pound, had to put in my name
Wish a nigga play now (yeah)
Any given day, I'll be headed to the pulpits (yeah)
Say a lil' prayer, matter fact, I need two of 'em (ooh)
Only do it, only do it (ooh)
This ain't '92 so we learn the new rules
Niggas got hip so we don't loot the projects
'Bout to hit Rodeo with my lil' cousin Marcus
Someone threw a whole brick in the Neiman Marcus (ah)
Help me put the whole mannequin in the Charger
You should've been downtown (down)
The people are risin' (look around)
We thought it was a lockdown (lockdown)
They opened the fire (had to get low, fire)
Them bullets was flyin' (down, down)
Who said it was a lockdown? Goddamn lie (ooh-wee)
Lockdown, we ain't gotta stop 'cause they tell us to
And downtown, where I got popped with the rubber bullet
Tre pound (uh), got it in my name now, I'ma shoot it
Lockdown, we ain't gotta stop 'cause they tell us to
And downtown