Pedantic - Sho Baraka, Amisho Baraka Lewis

If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed

If you do read it, you are misinformed

What is the long-term effect of too much information?

Information, information, I just need some information

I been dying, I been dying, is it lack of education?

I’ve been reading, I’ve been reading without any transformation

I’m addicted, I’m addicted, is it overstimulation?

Hello bro, I should be confessing that I am broke

I lust to be right but admitting I’m wrong

I am slow, I got a lot that I know but um… I don’t grow

I don’t get information for my soul, it’s for my foe

Is there anything holy or anything sacred?

Do we demonstrate joy?

Do we demonstrate patience?

Is there damage we do with this misinformation?

Is a gun and a bullet the only form of hatred?

When I say persecution, we ain’t talkin' 'bout no violence, dude

What they really wanna do is try to silence you

I believe the best of my values and ethics

But my cynicism tells me that your values are reckless

Information, information, I just need some information

I been dying, I been dying, is it lack of education?

I’ve been reading, I’ve been reading without any transformation

I’m addicted, I’m addicted, is it overstimulation?

Where’s the movement?

Somebody please point me towards the movement

I was told that you were the ones I should be cool with

But when they act foolish, who calls them out on their bullsh---

Bruh, you cannot disagree with the cool kids

This is how they get down, oh, it’s how we get down

What I gotta do just to prove I’m in the in-crowd

I know my value, I might be small but fame is fickle

They might be bigger, I am a dime, they are a nickel

What’s the value of grace when sin is cheap?

I learn the value of silence when fools speak

In a culture of speed, they will judge you when you’re slow

Oh, let me guess: this is stuff that you already know

We live in a society now where it’s just first, who cares?

Get it out there, we don’t care who it hurts

We don’t care who we destroy

We don’t care if it’s true

Just say it, sell it!

Anything you practice you’ll get good at including BS

Information, information, I just need some information

I been dying, I’ve been dying, is it lack of education?

I’ve been reading, I’ve been reading without any transformation

I’m addicted, I’m addicted, is it overstimulation?

Tell me, tell me who you listen to

Tell me, tell me who you listen to

Bad stories tell lies

Good stories tell truth

Bad stories tell lies

Reading Ralph Ellison slap-boxing with relevance

Sick of the prejudice but what is the medicine?

I read every book, I followed their artists

And I updated my look and I aim for new targets

And I laugh at their jokes, I flatter the smartest

And I covered their secrets, I learned in the darkness

And I sat with the brave, I heard of their pain

I ran in their lanes, I spoke of their names

I visit their chains, I study my heroes

I call them my tutors, I learn their maneuvers

Avoided their flaws and ran into new ones

I screamed and I marched, I read what they taught

I tallied their loss, I counted the cost

I spoke and I fought

Shame my oppressors, I practice the message

I loathe my aggressors, I met with the restless

I felt so impressive, I learned and I listened

I spoke against systems, I claimed altruism

I had information but did I have wisdom?

You heard me?

Does that make sense?

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