Speed Law

(Watch it) relax, pump the brakes, you're speedin', money
(Watch it) you'll smash your whole shit up
Man, chill (slow down)
Lights be changing fast on these streets, money, slow down (slow down)
(Watch it) (slow down)
Sleeping on the wrong cats (slow down)

Clear like a megaphone
Pretty nigga heart skipped the metronome
Rocked the Trump Tower to the terror dome (watch it)
Poor house to pleasure domes, soprano, alto, tenor to baritone
Mos Def, one of the illest that you ever known
Rock steady baby, you a stepping stone
Smash your foundation into pebbles
My words leave your nerves unsettled (watch it)

You take it to the next level down, looking like a circus clown
Cats like you can't even get a pound
Worldwide from the river to lakeside
My stage show stay live (watch it), make the sound man stage dive
I cut fat cats to eight lives with my eight-ball lines
I'm home 'fore I'm done with all nine
Got you shook a fault line
Come all shine and get tarnished (watch it)

Brooklyn got your payroll garnished
They form a huddle, whisper like they want trouble
I melt the ice grills into rainwater puddles
Make the proud-hearted leave on the humble
Black Steel in the hour (watch it)
Assemble my skill form my power
My poems crush bones into powder
You mumble like a coward

I'm Mos Def, you need to speak louder (Super Heroes)
Get your power, your masks and capes snatched
Brooklyn take what you can't take back (watch it)
I know a lot of cats hate that, all I can say black
There's a city full of walls you can post complaints at
All the doubters and believers adjust your receivers
"I feel it," (watch it) you can taste it through the speakers
The three six, original sketch lyrics so visual
They rent my rhyme books at your nearest home video

Tell them cats they need to ease back and observe where they at (watch it)
Brook-nahm Vietnam
The heat is on, put your joint on cruise
Try to rush you scuff your brake shoes, just cool and relax
Take a breath, take ten paces back (watch it)
Stay on time like Omegas
Brooklyn patrol like interstaters
Take their license and their registration papers

My joint's so passionate
Make you peal out and mash your shit
Get wild cold crash your whip
Front chassis wrecked, but 'ock you can't be too upset
Tow truck got my tape in the deck
I'm permanent like tattoos and birthmarks
Third-degree burn marks
Driving on tracks (watch it) like Dale Earnheardt

Stay on the low like the herb spot
Put a big loss on your earn chart
Nice since the nurse signed my birth chart
Seldom seen but often heard, while your jams is barely heard
Just my name (watch it) is a daily word
From avenues to streets, terraces and park places
Stair wells, jail cells, penthouse to basements

Arrangement basic, but still fans chase it
Y2K (watch it) can't delete the true ancient
Apache war drum on the ranges, skill level dangerous
Arrowhead that killed all the cavemen
They cry John-Blazing, but step on the pavement
And get violated (watch it) like a plaintiff
I ain't shit to play with

I give a God damn what your name is
Delete it and make it so it never get repeated, believe it
Tell the feds, tell your girl, tell your mother
Conference call you wack crew (watch it) and tell each other
That they just ain't holding me
I'm Mos Def, you hopefully
Mush on before you get bust off like a ovary

Tell them cats they need to ease back and observe where they at (watch it)
Brook-nahm Vietnam
The heat is on
Put your joint on cruise
In a rush you scuff your brake shoes, just cool and relax
Take a breath, take ten paces back (watch it)
Brook-nahm Vietnam
The heat is on, no off-ramp or detour

Make these gassed-up jokers observe the speed law
Make these gassed-up clowns observe the speed law
Make these gassed-up clowns (watch it) observe the speed law
'Cause they speedin', speedin', speedin', speedin', speedin'
Speedin', speedin', speedin', speedin', speedin'
Speedin', speedin', speedin', speedin', speedin' (watch it)

Relax (woo)
Slow down, you better chill, money (slow down)
Lights be changing fast (slow down) on these streets dude (watch it)
Smash your whole shit up (slow down)
You better cool out, money (slow down)
It ain't like that out here (slow down)
(Slow down) look at these cats man (watch it), it's funny man
(Slow down) he probably just got that car (slow down)

About to fuck your whole shit up (slow down) (watch it)
(Slow down) speed laws out here, money (slow down)
(Slow down) Knight riding cats (slow down) (watch it)
In control like interstaters, staters, staters
Staters, staters, staters, staters, staters
Staters, staters, staters, staters, staters
Stay the fuck off the road, money!!