Telegram

I'm falling up flights of stairs, 
scraping myself from the sidewalk, 
jumping from rivers to bridges, 
drowning in pure air.
Hip hop is lying on the side of the road, 
half dead to itself.
Blood scrawled over its mangled flesh, like jazz, 
stuffed into an oversized record bag. 
Tuba lips swollen beyond recognition. 
Diamond-studded teeth strewn like rice at Karma's wedding. 
The ring bearer bore bad news. 
Minister of information wrote the wrong proclamation. 
And now everyone's singing the wrong song. 
Dissonant chords find necks like nooses. 
That [bad word] kicked the chair from under my feet. 
Harlem shakin from a rope, but still on beat. 
 [bad word]  that loop is tight." 
That [bad word]  found a way to sample the way the truth the light. 
Can't wait to play myself at the party tonight. 
Niggas are gonna die. 
Cop car swerves to the side of the road. 
Hip hop takes its last breath. 
The cop scrawls vernacular manslaughter on a yellow 
pad, then balls the paper into his hand, 
deciding he'd rather free-style. 
"You have the right to remain silent." 
"You have the right to remain silent."
And maybe you should have 
maybe you should have 
before your [bad word] manifested. 

These thugs can't [bad word] with me, 
they're too thugged out. 
Niggas think I'm bugged out, 'cause I ain't Sean John or Lugged out. 
This ain't hip hop no more, son, it's bigger than that. 
This ain't ghetto no more, black, it's bigger than black. 
So where my aliens at? 
Girl, we all illegal. 
This system ain't for us. 
It's for rich people. 
And you ain't rich, dawg, you just got money. 
But you can't buy [bad word] to not get hungry. 

Telegram to Hip Hop: 
Dear Hip Hop. (stop) 
This [bad word] has gone too far. (stop)
Please see that turntables and mixer are returned to Kool Herc. (stop)
The ghettos are dancing off beat. (stop)
The master of ceremonies have forgotten 
that they were once slaves and have neglected 
the occasion of this ceremony. (stop)
Perhaps we should not have encouraged them 
to use cordless microphones, for they have 
walked too far from the source and 
are emitting a lesser frequency. (stop) 
Please inform all interested parties that 
cash nor murder have been included to list of elements. (stop)
We are discontinuing our current line 
of braggadocio, in light of the current trend in "realness". (stop)
As an alternative, we will be 
confiscating weed supplies and 
replacing them with magic mushrooms, in hopes 
of helping niggas see beyond their reality. (stop)
Give my regards to Brooklyn. 

These thugs can't [bad word] with me, they're too thugged out. 
Niggas think I'm bugged out, 'cause I ain't Sean John or Lugged out. 
This ain't hip hop no more, son, it's bigger than that. 
This ain't ghetto no more, black, it's bigger than black. 
So where my aliens at? 
Girl, we all illegal. 
This system ain't for us. 
It's for rich people. 
And you ain't rich, dawg, you just got money. 
But you can't buy [bad word] to not get hungry.

These cats can't [bad word] with me, I purr purple
Sold, increased, toe shell like a turtle
I walk the streets like the lie that I'm telling
One listener grips me and starts yellin
I see through speakers, I speak what's seen
I eat and shed, I sleep and dream
I walk the streets of London like "know what I mean?"
And chillin at waggamama
eatin crib soy beans

It's like that.