Work in Progress Songtext
von Nappy Roots

Wise words being spoke
Uh
Y′all know what it is
Na-Na-P Roots
Can I start this one off? Okay


Each day I listen what the streets say, like a DJ
My needle scratch ghetto recordings for my peoples
Got the eyes of the eagle, can't see us ever being peaceful
The reason? ′Cause we ain't never been equal
They got us believin' we heathens, uncivil soldiers of evil
Reach up and assume the position, you know the procedure
Can′t even leisure smoke a lil′ reefer
Without speaker search and seizure by
The same police who murdered Caesar
It's brutal, seein′ 'em treat us like
Lower creatures than human beings
More so like aliens tourin′ the land than Europeans
Seemin' to have a tendency to think we ig′nant 'cause of our pigment
Can't take away a nigga dignity though
So I pimp the industry ho
And even when I′m rich, I′ma pretend to be poor
My life a work in progress and soon to end the b-roll
But I don't stress ′cause I done been here before, you know

My life a work in progress
And even when I'm rich, I′ma pretend to be poor
My life a work in progress
But I don't stress ′cause I done been here before
My life a work in progress
And even when I'm rich, I'ma pretend to be poor
My life a work in progress
But I don′t stress ′cause I done been here before


I finally figured it out
In life, every step you take, every right, every left you make
You can look at it like chess in a way
'Cause life is best when you take your time
Don′t make a move unless you done made up your mind
Play by the rules, don't ever play the fool
Sometimes you play and lose, but you still pay your dues, come on
Everybody knows it costs to be the boss
Yeah, the price is kinda steep, but sacrifice is never cheap
I learned that life can be sweet and bitter at the same time
It′s the yin verse the yang, and it's rain without shine
Sometimes against the grain you grind
Gotta grit your teeth and bear it
Matthew 5, verse 5, "The earth the meek shall inherit"
Cherish the day ′fore you perish away
'Cause who would say how many days your power last?
It's like a crack in your hourglass
In a flash, the hours pass, and then you′re gone, gone

My life a work in progress
And even when I′m rich, I'ma pretend to be poor
My life a work in progress
But I don′t stress 'cause I done been here before
My life a work in progress
And even when I′m rich, I'ma pretend to be poor
My life a work in progress
But I don′t stress 'cause I done been here before

I like that
Long life livin' got word bring you close to dyin′
The more laughs wanna have it bring you close to cryin′
Cold, unforgiving planet, yeah, it is
Racism, community of dope and long biz
I daydream back to the '80s when we was all kids
A stab wound, a kidnappin′, but no wig splits
Though what a time, nine o'clock, it blow with the wind
It′s a good day in the hood to witness a stabbing
Now a story told to us without tragedy
Seem like it involves bloodshed automatically
If you ever get a chance, just stop and use your mind
Observe the world for yourself and just check the time
Yeah (Oh), yeah (That's right)
Smoke something with your country people (Please)
Drink something with your country people (Will you?)
Yeah (Yeah), uh-huh

Thinkin′ back in junior high when sex was the shit
Fast pussy nowadays can get you killed quick
'Bout shootin' ball in, now they ′bout hittin′ licks
I play in Natti Roots just to hear the realest shit
Explain it best in my know-how and then graphically
Seen next to nothing sugarcoated in these cold streets
Whatever you do, be smart, tote your heat
Did I mention, if you don't work, you don′t eat?
If you ever get a chance, stop and use your mind
Observe the world for yourself and check the time
Yeah, smoke something with your country people

My life a work in progress
And even when I'm rich, I′ma pretend to be poor
My life a work in progress
But I don't stress ′cause I done been here before
My life a work in progress
And even when I'm rich, I'ma pretend to be poor
My life a work in progress
But I don′t stress ′cause I done been here before

But I don't stress ′cause I done been here before