The year is 1994
I've been askin' myself, "What you rhymin' for?"
Maybe to stop the wars, or feed the poor
Be a warrior for the cause, and that's for sure
What a hard workin' man get when he lay down his hand
Just expendable label but you need your bread
Goddamn right! Know they gonna work you 'til you're dead
And you get the satisfaction of just doin' what they said
But instead, we tend to exercise our options
Make a new concoction, don't be boxed in
You wonder 'bout the people who died for somethin' better
I studied they books, I read up on they letters
And I know what they talkin' 'bout, it lasts forever
I can tell you about it, it'll be my pleasure
It's a God type energy to be yourself movement
To do the right thing, go back with improvements
If you got to believe in somethin'
Why not believe in yourself?
If you got to believe in somethin'
Why not believe in yourself?
Lord knows we the ones to bury you young
But Lord knows exactly how you carry your tongue
And word sound is louder than a lightnin' drum
And what goes around comes around, and that's the sum
Wish I could really live life for the moment
Not thinkin' 'bout the future 'cause I don't own it
You set out to catch it every time they flaunt it
And you work hard to keep it 'cause that's what you wanted
Never caught in a pickle 'cause we ain't fickle
Icicles over your head, about to stick you
You can't hide 'cause you ain't Dr. Jekyll
But you could come out shinin' like a brand new nickel
It's the life we lead, it's the life they led
It's what we say, it's what they said
With the background colorful with blues and reds
Who gets to starve to death and who gets fed
If you got to believe in somethin'
Why not believe in yourself?
If you got to believe in somethin'
Why not believe in yourself?
The year is 2004
I've been askin' myself, "What you rhymin' for?"
Maybe to stop the wars, or feed the poor
Be a warrior for the cause, and that's for sure
What a hard workin' man get just for tryin'
Buyin' in to the fame that keeps you flyin'
And Big Brother in the sky steadily lyin'
Hold on love, you ain't got to sit there cryin'
You got to manage through the damage that we already facin'
Know what you're chasin', know why you're racin'
You can't keep the cell locked down in the basement
When they power is gone, they gonna need a replacement
Maintain uh, against the grain uh
Once you get the picture, you gon' wanna know the painter
Life is still good without a personal trainer, it's a no-brainer
If you got to believe in somethin'
Why not believe in yourself?
If you got to believe in somethin'
Why not believe in yourself?