Brand Nubian › Lyrics › Hold On

I'll keep, holdin' on
I'll keep, holdin' on

Young black male, twenty-five years of age
Many a lives didn't survive to this stage
'Cause the rage of another brother got him popped
Shot him and he dropped, like a beanbag

Mean m*********** with a rag and some jeans that sag
They signify your death by crossin' out your tag
Then they go and brag that they took another life
Never to think, do a brother got a mother and a wife?

Trife when a nigga do the work of the Klan
That's what you're doin' when you ruin the life of a black man
Attack plan on self, the man's got the family jewels
So I guess we're buryin' wealth

All because we've been taught to despise what's black
Open your eyes you oughta realize the fact
That you've been gettin' used like a trick
You think you're mighty, but yo, whitey got your head sick

See you were fed thick pieces of swine as a baby
It only help to drive your mind crazy, now your blind days be over
No more standin' on line, tryin' to find Jehovah
Let us rewind to a time we was right and just

Now a days we just fight and bust
One another in the back over crack, a carjack
Will get you killed, watch the blood get spilled
To the scale, then watch how fast they build the jail
Now they got you holdin' on to a cell, well

I'll keep, holdin' on
I'll keep, holdin' on
I'll keep, holdin' on
I'll keep, holdin' on

Why it gotta be me B? I just came to chill
Came to see the flicks, nuttin' more nuttin' less
Try to show love even on a bad day
I roll up, I'm never hold up, the L is swoll up

The b*** in the mind is definitely a winner
Oh that's that rappin' nigga, I thought he was much bigger
Do you know this girl named Nah B? I don't know nothin'
Did that name game s*** right from the go get

Shorty want an autograph, can I sign it at the end?
Oh I think I'm all of that now, so now it's f*** Brand Nubian
Should I call you a b****, or should I maintain?
I'm just here with my lady and you came with your man

This would force him to front, and I'm sure he don't want it
Over some old b*******, when I'm quick to pull s***
Live dad, everything is everything
I got a lotta s*** to do I can't afford to catch a charge

I'm a product of the streets, and I couldn't make no peace
All the real hard s*** I know, is on the down low
Straight for real estate, on a scale I place your fate
Now I'ma let you skate, you was a little weeded
And I seen you don't need it, so hold on with your bad self

I'll keep, holdin' on
I'll keep, holdin' on
I gotta hold on
I'll keep, holdin' on

My word is bond, I gotta be strong
I'll keep, holdin' on
And keep holdin' on, yeah
Ya see life's gettin' rough but I gotta hold on

All these little suckers want me alone
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Ya see life's gettin' rough but I gotta hold on
All these little suckers want me alone

Yeah, they want me alone
Yeah, yeah yeah
But I gotta hold on because my word is bon
And it's on and on, on and on, on and on

On ya, I gotta hold on
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah