American Heartbreak

Yeah, America the ugly This country is deep to say the least Ask from Louisville to Kentucky, to LA to the East Where the race been on, recently I been makin' peace With the fact black bodies are worth more if they're deceased I'm trapped in a nine-by-twelve, awaitin' our release Not takin' it upon ourselves to break away and teach The next new crop before they face the next few cops 'Cause a traffic stop at night alone could get you pop Nina Simone sang, "What the matter with you? Rock?" Is it my hip hop? Hey, what's the matter with 2Pac? We will finish the journey from Mecca to pilgrimage Build bridges over burial grounds, they filled with us I grimaced upon a photo I found A still image of a friend who said to lean on Him, like Bill Withers I wish he was still with us They issue moratoriums on the truth and label us 'revisionist historians' Changin' the point of origin in all the events Any prince with some kind of sense is all they're against For generations, they ain't shown us that the American modus operandi The holders, controllers, and try-to-fold-ya's But yo, watch your body Oh, America Not gon' bring me down today Don't wanna see another American heartbreak Oh, you can't keep me down Oh, America Yeah, watch your body for me I wasn't built to breathe I won't be another American heartbreak My soul you won't take You can't keep me down The beast brand is strong To each man, his own For every Tameka Mallory in the cold hand o' Jones Get up like Jayla Rose so they don't stand alone Leaders understand the code Pawns do what they suppose In part, this heart of stone Is for you to make it home If I perish when you grown I want you to take the throne But when drivin', you a target Don't be talkin' on the phone You a alien, you might as well be walkin' on the moon When you walk into a room Never shrink that you can fit in Your beauty and your brilliance ain't build to keep it hidden Your path, more like the vision of Richard Wright Was written too long ago to give him, too strong to be forbidden So whether saint or sinner, here's the tenor like Kamasi I'm from the kinda posse that's down with Ta-Nehisi Clowns can try to box me, their hate can never stop me I'm a product of American Heartbreak, but watch me I'm still a problem, liftin' my wings Despite the system that vilified the victim, I'm still alive and kickin' I'ma striver, survivor, a husband and a father from the bloodline o' kings I move different than ya, watch ya body Oh, America Not gon' bring me down today Don't wanna see another American heartbreak Oh, you can't keep me down Oh, America Yeah, watch your body for me I wasn't built to breathe I won't be another American heartbreak My soul you won't take You can't keep me down Built to last strong Nothin' gon' hold me down, no Power, yeah, that black power That's how I keep holdin' on, yeah I'm holding on (holding on, yeah) Holdin' on yeah I'm holdin', I'm holdin' strong Holdin', holdin', I'm holdin' on Can't nobody bring me down I'm holdin' (stronger) 'Cause I've got that power (I've got that black power) Yeah, yeah (built to last) I'm built to last, ooh My, my, my, my, my