Marcus Orelias – Exercise Control lyrics

(Piano Intro)

(Verse 1: Marcus Orelias)

Let me start off bat, I’m not a conscious cat
I just want you to see where my conscious at
No justice and no peace, too many mamas in tears
Son’s deceased at seventeen; this prison’s a beast
And we gotta eat but government don’t give a shit
As long as police see, less and less niggas breathe
It seems like every single month there’s a tragedy
Somebody getting shot up or shot down, don’t faze me
Not that I don’t care, it’s the way the hood made me
But lately, I’ve been thinking of adapting a new plan
To grab the youth and take the world in my hands
I hope you understand, ten to four, I watched the tube
Same tube showing you a black life’s worthless
Shows us cuffed up, [Emulates Gunshots], hearses-the pain
I put in everything, if we could link up every gang
When will we fight back? They hitting kids
The story trends, media sweeps then we’re all fine
That’s why I, don’t watch news cause it's full of lies

(Hook: 2Pac & DJ Elliven)

I think gangs can be positive
It just has to be organized
And it has to steer away from being self-destructive
To being self productive
I think this country was built on gangs
I think this country still is run on gangs
Republicans, Democrats
The police department, the FBI, the CI- those are gangs
(360 myself then I exercise control)

(Verse 2: Marcus Orelias)

Me and my homies mobbing down the block
I stop; ask myself, how many bodies gotta drop?
I heard, God don’t like ugly but isn’t fond of pretty either
So our hands embrace heat, incase the streets get cold
If I talk revolution, most wouldn’t know the code
If I make songs for club, it feels like my soul’s sold
Standing on a middle ground, with nowhere to go
Cause you know, these cops give a damn about a Negro
Pull a strap, say you shot back; he’s the hero
Doesn’t matter if you rap or not, have a wrap or not
Exercise control and keep those Glocks cocked
Scream out your rights; aight? I know, I bring it raw
Dodging the law, how do we avoid the pin?
When stand your ground, stop and frisk is the same shit
Used to target me, honesty’ll probably be the end of me
I’m hearing stop the violence but that can’t be
As long as we don’t look at ourselves, as a society

(Hook)

(Outro)

Where are we going? Where are we headed?
Because believe me, it isn’t always the police
There’s two sides to every story, three if the truth’s told
In the backseat, headed somewhere unknown
All alone, my innocence will soon be seized
No permanent friends, no permanent enemies just permanent interest
It's time to fight the powers that be; let em know
We can’t have peace until niggas get a piece too
We’re taught our only option’s to be deceased
Look, I’ll be what you need me to be just know
Where I’m headed could be a rocky road
Shit, this old world is crumbling fast, a new one
Coming slow but fsho, you better exercise control
Before THEY take control, ya dig?
Rebel with a cause and THEY hate it…