This verse deserves its own post

I posted the song "2nd Time" by Brother Ali and Wale here quite some time ago. I also posted another Brother Ali song that I thought was pretty dope with Freeway called the Truth. But Ali's verse on the "The Truth" is nothing compared to Ali's verse on "2nd Time".

I listen to a lot of rappers that don't talk about much outside of cars, clothes, drugs, and hoes and that type of rap definitely has its place in my rotation (no I'm not ashamed to admit it) but I also have a place in my rotation for rap like what you're about to listen to below.

I'm not sure if it'll be more effective to post the transcription first or the song but I'll go ahead and post his verse from the song first then the transcription of his verse.


And here's the transcription of Brother Ali's verse:

Rappers can't clap me

Jackers can't gat me

Original meaning of Jazzy Fat Nasty

I don't bite rapper's lines, I bite the captain's arm off

I don't throw shots in the air, I throw that Molotov

Cocktail, reservoir dog my collar off

Y'all scared to get that revolution popping off

You really got the guns you claim in the track

Then my question to you is who you aiming em at

You complain that the rap police caught you with a gat under the seat

Misdemeanored that twenty bag of weed

But little old me with the few facts that I speak

The homeland security gaffled me over seas

Froze my bank account and seized my guarantee

And y'all are soundscanning like a hundred more than me

They kicking you off tour for freaking a chick or two

Verizon dissed me too 'cause I was too political

Y'all are all safe and shit, y'all are not saying shit

You just snap your fingers and dance and make your label rich

Gotta pay back that advance, so they ain't gave you shit

This is your chance to say something and you're wasting it

People are starving, you talking bout balling

Can't think of nothing more important than that jargon

Hundred different ways to describe diamonds sparkling

Eighty percent of kids are listening to y'all shit

I heard that statistic I almost cried

Never wanted so bad for 2pac to be alive

What the fuck happened to rap when

The gangsters are scared of upsetting they industry masters

It ain't my place to say and I hear all that

But fuck that, I live in the hood and we need y'all cats

So as soon as I hear y'all on some real pro black
Then I will gladly go back to my emo rap

They say the truth don't belong to nobody, if you see it you speak it

It would be a sin to keep it a secret

So if I need to breathe then believe that I mean it

Quit trying to be somebody's boss and be a leader

If it wasn't bad enough your labels are hoeing you

You can't even scan, your fans are downloading you

There's no connection, so they're not supporting you

You ain't never shed light on nothing that they're going through

We ain't buying CDs, we striving to live

And these artists don't need me they already rich

I ain't hating on you, rock them shines

Just remember us from time to time when you drop them lines

Rappers can't clap me

Jackers can't gat me

Original meaning of Jazzy Fat Nasty

Busy raising babies and living on tour

Signing off Brother Ali, sincerely yours

I would've highlighted the dope parts of the verse but that's pretty much everything after the first couple of bars.

You can listen to the full version with Wale here but unfortunately (I'm a Wale fan) Wale's verse doesn't really stand up to Ali's.