American Indians indigenous African American history

Yeah…

They don’t teach this in school.

They don’t put this in books.

This that dirt-under-the-fingernails truth.

Turn me up.

(Beat drop)

⸻

Chains on my neck ‘cause they chained us first (FACT)

Whips to the back, yeah they made it hurt (DAMN)

Stole our land, then erased our worth (LIES)

Now they mad ‘cause the truth gon’ burst (BOOM)

Pain in the ice, yeah the gold still speak (DRIP)

Blood in the soil where my roots go deep (REAL)

They buried the truth, now the ground gon’ leak

Every time I breathe, yeah the past still scream

⸻

They said slave ship, but that story fake

We was here when they mapped the states

Before the crown, before the flag

Before the lies they wrapped in facts

They came with guns, they came with God

Called it destiny, called us dogs

Split families, broke the code

Beat the names out our very soul

Iron on the wrist, iron on the mind

Generations whipped into “fall in line”

Now they confused why we don’t feel free

When freedom came with no land deed

Forty acres turned to empty talk

While they passed wealth every time they walk

Now my chain heavy, don’t ask why

That’s inherited pain I monetized

(Ad-libs: “Talk to ‘em!” “Say that!” “Truth!”)

⸻

Chains on my neck ‘cause they chained us first (FACT)

Whips to the back, yeah they made it hurt (DAMN)

Stole our land, then erased our worth (LIES)

Now they mad ‘cause the truth gon’ burst (BOOM)

Pain in the ice, yeah the gold still speak (DRIP)

Blood in the soil where my roots go deep (REAL)

They buried the truth, now the ground gon’ leak

Every time I breathe, yeah the past still scream

⸻

They freed us broke, that’s a slick-ass crime

No mule, no acres, just a jail pipeline

From cotton rows to concrete cells

Same damn system, new way to sell

Badge and a gun where the whip once lay

Same fear when we walk they way

Profile my skin, say I fit the mold

Like my ancestors wasn’t already sold

They call us violent, call us lost

But never count the generational cost

They stole the land, then charged us rent

Now surprised we got resentment

(Ad-libs: “Uh!” “Think!” “You know!”)

⸻

This ain’t hate talk, this is memory

This ain’t rap, this is testimony

You don’t heal trauma by telling us “chill”

When the wound still open, the bill still real

⸻

They rewrote books, erased our face

Put European truth in our place

Now they scared when we read between

The lies, the codes, the slavery schemes

From red lines to red lights

Same trap dressed up real nice

They say “move on,” like time erase

Chains in the mind don’t rust away

You can’t preach peace with stolen land

Then act shocked when we take a stand

We still here, still breathing loud

Still kings even stripped of crowns

(Ad-libs: “Still!” “Right now!” “Ain’t gone!”)

⸻

Chains on my neck ‘c

God…

They ask us why the chain heavy on our necks.

They don’t ask

who put iron on us first.

They chained our ankles before we ever walked free.

Chained our wrists before we ever shook hands.

Chained our names, our language, our families.

So don’t get confused by the gold you see.

This chain ain’t braggin’.

It’s rememberin’.

We wore rust before we wore shine.

We wore weight before we wore wealth.

We wore silence while the world ate good.

So when we glow now, it ain’t for vanity—

It’s proof we survived what was meant to erase us.

They chained us to fields.

Chained us to docks.

Chained us to laws that said we wasn’t human enough to mourn.

So if this necklace make you uncomfortable,

Good.

History supposed to be heavy.

Every link say we still here.

Every link say we ain’t forget.

Every link say pain didn’t kill the bloodline.

They say, “Why you still talkin’ ’bout the past?”

’Cause the past still breathin’ on our necks.

Still signin’ our checks.

Still decidin’ who get grace

and who get suspicion.

God…

We didn’t choose the weight.

We learned how to carry it.

So when we say We Tried,

we mean with shackles on.

When we say We Built,

we mean with no ownership.

When we say We Still Here,

we mean against design.

They chained us first.

We just turned survival into symbol.

Turned memory into armor.

Turned pain into presence.

God…

We ain’t flexin’.

We testifyin’.

They chained us first. They chained us first. They chained us first. Fffffffirst

No flexin ffffffflixin testtifyiii n’

God…

We ain’t flexin’.

We testifyin’.

They chained us first.

We just turned survival into symbol.

Turned memory into armor.

Turned pain into presence.

They chained us first.

We just turned survival into symbol.

Turned memory into armor.

Turned pain into presence.