Public Enemy cover)



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 its 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