Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos Lyrics by Public Enemy

Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos

Ridenhour - shocklee - sadler - drayton

I got a letter from the government
The other day
I opened and read it
It said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me given a damn - I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
About a brother like me and myself
Because they never did
I wasnt wit it, but just that very minute...
It occured to me
The suckers had authority
Cold sweatin as I dwell in my cell
How long has it been?
They got me sittin in the state pen
I gotta get out - but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor
Im not a fugitive on the run
But a brother like me begun - to be another one
Public enemy servin time - they drew the line yall
To criticize me some crime - never the less
They could not understand that Im a black man
And I could never be a veteran
On the strength, the situations unreal
I got a raw deal, so Im goin for the steel

They got me rottin in the time that Im servin
Tellin you what happened the same time theyre throwin
4 of us packed in a cell like slaves - oh well
The same motherfucker got us livin is his hell
You have to realize - what its a form of slavery
Organized under a swarm of devils
Straight up - wordem up on the level
The reasons are several, most of them federal
Here is my plan anyway and I say
I got gusto, but only some I can trust - yo
Some do a bid from 1 to 10
And I never did, and plus I never been
Im on a tier where no tears should ever fall
Cell block and locked - I never clock it yall
cause time and time again time
They got me servin to those and to them
Im not a citizen
But ever when I catch a c-o
Sleepin on the job - my plan is on go-ahead
On the strength, ima tell you the deal
I got nothin to lose
cause Im goin for the steel

You know I caught a c-o
Fallin asleep on death row
I grabbed his gun - then he did what I said so
And everymans got served
Along with the time they served
Decency was deserved
To understand my demands
I gave a warnin - I wanted the governor, yall
And plus the warden to know
That I was innocent -
Because Im militant
Posing a threat, you bet its fuckin up the government
My plan said I had to get out and break north
Just like with olivers neck
I had to get off - my boys had the feds in check
They couldnt do nuthin
We had a force to instigate a prison riot
This is what it takes for peace
So I just took the piece
Black for black inside time to cut the leash
Freedom to get out - to the ghetto - no sell out
6 c-os we got we ought to put their head out
But Ill give em a chance, cause Im civilized
As for the rest of the world, they cant realize
A cell is hell - Im a rebel so I rebel
Between bars, got me thinkin like an animal
Got a woman c-o to call me a copter
She tried to get away, and I popped her
Twice, right
Now who wanna get nice?
I had 6 c-os, now its 5 to go
And Im serious - call me delirious
But Im still a captive
I gotta rap this
Time to break as time grows intense
I got the steel in my right hand
Now Im lookin for the fence

I ventured into the courtyard
Followed by 52 brothers
Bruised, battered, and scarred but hard
Goin out with a bang
Ready to bang out
But power from the sky
And from the tower shots rang out
A high number of dose - yes
And some came close
Figure I trigger my steel
Stand and hold my post
This is what I mean - an anti-nigger machine
If I come out alive and then they wont - come clean
And then I threw up my steel bullets - flew up
Blew up, who shot...
What, who, the bazooka was who
And to my rescue, it was the s1ws
Secured my getaway, so I just gotaway
The joint broke, from the black smoke
Then they saw it was rougher thatn the average bluffer
cause the steel was black, the attitude exact
Now the chase is on tellin you to cmon
53 brothers on the run, and we are gone