New wave, yeah, I'm on a new wave
My family was stolen, this ain't my last name
Chris Columbus started them cat games
How you lie to a whole race in they face?
You told me that I could, Lord knows that I can't
Y'all sell crooked ass dreams knowin' *****s ain't straight
They had my granny in the field picking cotton
So it's only right I'm in the field with my partners
From splitting syrup sandwichs to syrup from the doctors
Pokémon to my dawgs so my *****s know I got 'em
Even though I'm extra hard on my lil' white partner
Know his grandparents hate me, I still don't let it change me
I am not black if I really ain't me
And I never tried to be anything I can't be
The lupus won the war, damn? I miss my auntie
I told the blind man, "*****, you lucky you can't see"
This world ******
They don't wanna show no love for me
Throw the cuffs on me? then they throw the judge on me, yeah
Wanna hold me down, no lie
But look me in my eyes and know I still rise, rise
Ain't no looking back when you seen the other side
I'ma rise, ooh, woah
Know I rise every time
Death to all crackers who hate *****s
I don't rock Timbs, they wore them boots to hang *****s
My ancestors would love me for the **** that I'm doin'
I'm involved in my community, I talk through this music
I shed light on all the bad **** the devil be doin'
I tried to find it in the Bible but the message was ruined
I'm not self-centered, I'm far from it
If blacks keep killing us blacks, the law love it
Open your eyes, the president is just a puppet
We at war with ourself and we ain't thinkin' nothin' of it
Due to the fact I'm statin' facts, I gotta watch my back
One month for our history, I'm not cool with that
If Jesus was alive, I bet he'd be a black
He would recognize the struggle we see in the trap
Times up, open them Heaven gates
Just to put another white smile on my black face
They don't wanna show no love for me
Throw the cuffs on me, then they throw the judge on me, yeah
Wanna hold me down, no lie
But look me in my eyes and know I still rise, rise
Ain't no looking back when you seen the other side
I'ma rise, ooh, woah
Know I rise every time
Young *****, still don't know what I'm after
Treat me like a young *****, throw me in shackles, uh
Seen him in the Benz, won't talk to the pastor
Got me thinkin' 'bout the days I was flippin' the fast one
Skin tone dark, still I see the light
Swear my mama told me the future is bright
As long as I pay attention then I'll be alright
So I always listen, big black *****, yeah
Ducking all the bull****, defying the odds
I would only find myself when I went looking for God
400 years of these memories, we never forgot
We carry it like some luggage, know it's weighing a lot, hey
Mind filling up, we still feeling up, ayy
Wonder why we active and we don't give a ****, they
Say we out of line but they just out of touch, uh
Doin' hella **** but it's never givin' up on light
They don't wanna show no love for me
Throw the cuffs on me, then they throw the judge on me, yeah
Wanna hold me down, no lie
But look me in my eyes and know I still rise, rise
Ain't no looking back when you seen the other side
I'ma rise, ooh, woah
Know I rise every time
Know I still rise, I still
Know I still rise, I still
Know I still rise, I still
Know I still rise, I still