Common - Gladiator They say he's a radical, he don't fit the game A heart full of glory and a fist of pain A couple of battle scars but shit's the same Are you not entertained So all the onlookers and the bystanders Wait til intermission, run buy your camera Record the moment, cause it'll be platinum And you could say you seen Common rock the stadium I was told by a wise old to come from the heart Though I might've did The Light, I don't run from the dark The dark knight to spark mics, and start fights The warrior archetype like Kimbo Slice It's strength in the beard, am I loved or feared A beast amongst boys like Paul I'm revered Vroof, vroof vroof vroof vroof Vroof vroof well Like Jacob Jewel, I keep clientele You frail on the mic like you might break a nail I might smoke a joint but I won't take the L I knew a fat girl who broke the scale Still touched down cause I was off Artell Had dreams of breaking Mike Vick out of jail Took the underground rail to the end that failed I rebel, NYSL Here to leave a trail like Nelson Mandela nothing you could do My words is the sword, my skill is the shield My life is the style I stay dressed to kill A legend like Will Smith with the steel I could save the world when shit get for real Skinny George Foreman, all in your grill My rhyme style is blind, it's all in the feel Touch it and watch the blood fall with the steel The weak raps you wrote you could call that your will My drive VROOM is how I stay the livest Your guys got you gassed, my flow is a hybrid Crashed I survived it, gashes over eyelids You easy to take out cause you hot garbage I'm amped like wattage, the truth nigga honest Any moment opponents drop out like college Kneel and pay homage to the rap Ziggy Stardust Stadium hands in the air fists balled up Feet in the dirt, blood on the shirt Scars over bars, symbols of the work Tight clothes the armor, center of the drama Defeat your whole army like this is Sparta So don't violate or you'll get violated Some of you model bitches is so overrated Don't mean to underrate it but damn it I made it In the water I waded on the corner I painted Draw blood like we related MCs get de-decapitated Syncopated is the style that I fight with, write with Mr. Excitement, change your face up like a white chick Then light shit up like a dread with the herbs Get sex in the city and head in the burbs These are the words of a radical The crowd applaud, I'm bowed, I'm proud To be the gladiator