[Intro]
Say ho, everybody say ho
 By the way yo
I said take it slow like way back in the day-yo
By the way yo, everybody say ho
Everybody say hooooo- hooo
 Everybody say ho

 [Verse 1: Mos Def]
 And check it out now
Who is the cat eatin out on the town
 And make the whole dining room turn they head round
Mr [bad word]  [bad word] [bad word] He got the speakers in the [bad word] with the bass on [bad word] Who be ridin up in the highrise elevator
Other tenants who be prayin they ain't the new neighbor
Mr [bad word]  [bad word] [bad word] They try to play him like a chump cause he got what they want

 [Verse 2]
He under thirty years old but already he's a pro
Designer trousers slung low cause his pockets stay swoll'
Could afford to get up and be anywhere he go
 V.I.P. at the club, backstage at the show
 (Yes y'all) the best crib, the best clothes
 Hottest whips on the road neck and wrists on froze (say word)
Checks with O's o-o-o-o-ohs
Straight all across the globe watch got three time-zones
Keep the digital phone up to his dome
Two assistants, two bank accounts, two homes
One problem; even with the O's on his check
 The po-po stop him and show no respect
"Is there a problem officer?" [bad word] straight, it's called race
 That motivate the jake (woo-woo) to give chase
Say they want you successful, but that ain't the case
You livin large, your skin is dark they flash a light in your face

 [Verse 3]
Now, who is cat dining out on the town
 Maitre'd wanna take a whole year to sit him down
Mr [bad word]  [bad word] [bad word] He got the speakers in the [bad word] with the bass on [bad word] Now, who is the cat at Armani buyin wears
 With the tourists who be askin him, do you work here?
Mr [bad word]  [bad word] [bad word]  [bad word] [bad word] 
 [Verse 4]
 Yo, the Abstract with the Mighty Mos Def
White folks got it muffled across beneath they breathe
 I didn't say it
But they'll say it out loud again
 When they get with they close associates and friends
 You know, sneak it in with they friends at the job
 Happy hour at the bar while this song is in they car
And even if they've never said it, lips stay sealed
 They actions reveal how their hearts really feel
Like, late night I'm on a first class flight
The only brother in sight the flight attendent catch fright
I sit down in my seat, 2C
She approach officially talkin about, "Excuse me"
Her lips curl up into a tight space
Cause she don't believe that I'm in the right place
Showed her my boarding pass, and then she sort of gasped
 All embarrassed put an extra lime on my water glass
An hour later here [bad word] by walkin past
"I hate to be a pest but my son would love your autograph"
 (Wowwww.. Mr. [bad word] I love you, I have all your albums!..)
They stay on [bad word] patrol on american roads
 And when you travel abroad they got world [bad word] law
Some folks get on a plane go as they please
 But I go over seas and I get over-SEIZED
 London Heathrow, me and my people
They think that illegal's a synonym for negro
Far away places, customs agents flagrant
They think the dark faces smuggle weight in they cases
Bags inspected, now we arrested
Attention directed to contents of our intestines
 Urinalyis followed by X-rays
Interrogated and detained til [bad word] near the next day
 No evidence, no appology and no regard
Even for the big american rap star
 For us especially, us most especially
 Mr [bad word] VIP jail cell just for me
"If I knew you [bad word] I'd have baked a cake
Just got some shoe-polish, painted my face"
They say they want you successful, but then they make it stressful
 You start keepin pace, they start changin up the tempo

 [Verse 4]
Now, who is cat riding out on the town
State trooper wanna stop him in his ride, pat him down
Mr [bad word]  [bad word] [bad word] He got the speakers in the [bad word] with the bass