Talib Kweli
"I Try"

[Talib Kweli]
Yeah, yeah
New Talib Kweli
Yeah, you know what it is
Come on, come on, yeah
Hey yo *repeats*

[Hook: Mary J. Blige]
I try, I try (that's all we can do)
I try, you know I try
I try, I try (yeah)
I try, you know I try

[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]
K. West! Kweli!
Got searched on the plane, Arabic
first name
Disturbed by the fame just like Kurt
Cobain
Breath of life, kiss of death, my lips
pursed the same
You flirt 'til she came
Nothin' hurt like the pain and torture
Daughters of the dust lookin' for a
vein
Something to take in vain like the
Lord's name
Put your hands together, got 'em all
sayin'

[Hook: Mary J. Blige]
I try, I try
I try, you know I try
I try, I try
I try, you know I try

[Verse 2: Talib Kweli]
Yo, it's all ghetto in gear higher, the
floor settle
More metal for beef that we don't let
the law settle
I try to navigate the treacherous
waters of
America's ghettos that set up the
slaughteres
But there's more of us
Although we speak in different
languages
We all pretty familiar with what anger
is
Young and dangerous, ???
Get up on some gangsta shit
Guns to bang ya wit'
And we put it on records to entertain
ya wit'
I'm grown with pains way deeper than
my receivers
Our uniforms is white sneakers and
white T-shirts
On top of wife beaters
We like to light reefers
The 'hood need us for rappers, just
ain't the right leaders
I put a lot into it
This is my product and I gotta move it
Stop the industry but you can't stop
the music

[Interlude: Mary J. Blige]
An upside down kingdom where life is
just not fair (upside down kingdom)
Some many sufferin' cuz deep inside
they're scared (so scared)
Fear pumped into their veins to keep
them from their destiny
Where would they be if you and I
don't care?

[Hook: Mary J. Blige]
I try, I try, you know I try
I try, I try, I try, you know I try

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
Yo, the things I'm seein' on the news
is insane
A stock broker shoot his kid and
throw himself in front of a train
A mother leave her baby home for
two weeks all by himself
Three years old, eatin' ketchup and
mustard, cryin for help
Tryin' to bring your struggle to life
The label want a song about a bubbly
life
I have trouble tryin' to write some shit
To BANG in the club through the
night
When people suffer tonight
Lord knows I try

[Hook: Mary J. Blige]
I try, I try, I try, you know I try
I try, I try, I try, you know I try

[Interlude: Talib Kweli]
Life is a beautiful struggle
People search through the rubble for
a suitable hustle
Some people usin' the noodle, some
people usin' the muscle
Some people put it all together, make
it fit like a puzzle
Come on, say it now
Life is a beautiful struggle
People search through the rubble for
a suitable hustle
Some people usin' the noodle, some
people usin' the muscle
Some people put it all together, yeah

[Outro: Mary J. Blige]
I try, I try, you know I try
I try, oh Lord I try
Everyday I

{*Mary J. Bliges harmonizes with the
beat*}

Upside down kingdom
Oh, they're so scared
Everyday on the news we can't look
around with
something somewhere
I try, I try, you know I try
I try, I try, I try, you know I try
Lord knows, Lord knows we try
Yeah