Mos Def › Lyrics › Rock N Roll

Make me wanna holla, alert the squad
Rock and roll, alert the squad
Rock and roll, alert the squad
Rock and roll, alert the squad
Rock and roll

My grand momma was raised on a reservation
My great grandmomma was from a plantation
They sang songs for inspiration
They sang songs for relaxation
They sang songs to take their minds up off that
F***** up situation

I am, yes I am the descendant, yes
Of those folks whose backs got broke
Who fell down inside the gun smoke

Black people, chains on they ankles and feet
I am descendants of the builders of your street
Black people, tenders to your cotton money
I am Hip-Hop

It's heavy metal for the black people
I am, rock and roll, rock and roll
Rock n' roll, been here forever
They just ain't let you know

I said, Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Chuck Berry is rock and roll, damn right
You may dig on The Rolling Stones
But they ain't come up with that style on they own

Elvis Presley ain't got no soul, hell no
Little Richard is rock and roll, damn right
You may dig on The Rolling Stones
But they ain't come up with that s*** on they own

Guess that's just the way s*** goes
You steal my clothes and try to say they yo's, yes they do
'Cause it's a show filled with pimps and hoes
Tryin' to take everything that you made or control, there they go

Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Bo Diddley is rock and roll, damn right
You may dig on The Rolling Stones
But they ain't the first place the credit belongs

Say whoa, oh don't take it, oh wee oh
Black music, whoa, oh don't take it, oh wee oh
Black music, whoa, oh Jimi Hendrix say oh wee oh
Black music, whoa, oh Albert King and oh wee oh
And Motown

I ain't tryin' to diss, but I don't be tryin' to f*** with Limp Bizkit
The f*** is on your mind, when I get down in my zone
I be rockin' Bad Brains and Fishbone
I ain't tryin' to slow your groove
But that ain't the way I'm tryin' to move

I don't turn on Korn to get it on
I be playin' Jimi Hendrix 'til the dawn
That's my word is bond, sittin' up on my front lawn
Got the volume turned to ten
Playin' Albert King the best again, black

When the mornin' in the cooker
Got to turn on some John Lee Hooker
When I want some rock and roll
Go to Otis Redding to get some soul

I say, James Brown got plenty of soul
James Brown like to rock and roll
He can do all the s*** fo' sho'
That Elvis Presley could never know, black people

Said, Kenny G ain't got no soul
John Coltrane is rock and roll
You may dig on The Rolling Stones
But they could never ever rock like Nina Simone

Say whoa, oh, don't take it, oh wee oh
Black music, whoa, oh, don't take it, oh wee oh
Black music, whoa, oh, don't take it, oh wee oh
Black music, whoa, oh, oh, oh, alert the squad

Who am I? Get your punk ass up
Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Jimi Hendrix is rock and roll
You may dig on The Rolling Stones
But everything they did they stole

Elvis Presley ain't got no soul
Bo Diddley is rock and roll
You may dig on The Rolling Stones
But we send they punk ass home

Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll

Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I?

Say, rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll
Who am I? Rock and roll

Get your punk ass up, company, move
For Harlem, Fort Greene, Compton
East St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago
Bed-Stuy, Flatbush, Brownsville

East New York, Newark, New Jersey
Illadelphia, Cincinatti, Atlanta, the Dirty South
All towns, get your punk ass up
Rock and roll for the black people, hi ma

{Well, that was just wonderful}