A wise man sees failure as progress.
A fool divorces his knowledge and misses the logic,
And loses his soul in the process.
Canibus, “Poet Laureate II,” Rip the Jacker, 2003
Tag: wisdom
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Never we sleep, a thug doesn’t rest,
Cause a wise man said: it was a cousin of death.Big Pun, “Who Is a Thug,” from Whiteboys soundtrack, 1999 -
Life’s not a bitch, life is a beautiful woman…
You only call her a bitch because she won’t let you get that pussy.
Maybe she didn’t feel y’all shared any similar interests,
Or maybe you’re just an asshole who couldn’t sweet talk the princess.Aesop Rock, “Daylight,” Daylight EP, 2002 -
Listenin to nothin, takin no suggestions,
All destructive criticisms that can’t improve on perfection.MF Doom is Viktor Vaughn, “The Drop,” Vaudeville Villain, 2003 -
When you feeding on hate, you empty, my nigga. It shows.
Rick Ross, “Hold On,” from Pusha T’s My Name is My Name, 2013 -
How you know where I’m at when you haven’t been where I’ve been?
Understand where I’m coming from?B-Real, “How I Could Just Kill A Man,” from Cypress Hill’s Cypress Hill, 1991 -
I know the feelin, when you feelin like a villain,
You be havin good thoughts but the evils be revealin’.
And the stresses of life can take you off the right path,
Jealousy and envy tends to infiltrate your staff…
We gotta hold it down so we can move on past
All adversities, so we can get through fast.Q-Tip, “Stressed Out,” from A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats, Rhymes & Life, 1996 -
The snake, the rat, the cat, the dog…
How you gonna see ‘em if you livin’ in the fog?DMX, “Damien,” It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, 1998 -
My days getting shorter, my nights getting longer,
My cell getting smaller, my son getting taller.
I exercise my mind, my body getting stronger,
But my blood getting colder, heart getting harder.
My chances for appeal getting slimmer,
My skin getting brighter, my hair getting thinner.
See, when you stressed out, you could age fast in here,
I done seen weak niggas not last a year.
So before lights out, I write my kids every night,
Kiss the stamp on the kite,
And say a prayer…I hope it lands safe in these flights,
I pray they sleep safe through the night.
Try to teach my son right, give him some jewels,
But it’s hard to raise my boy from this visiting room.
Many cells turned to prisoner’s tombs,
I just pray I don’t die in here,
And last night I almost cried a tear.Beanie Sigel, “Have Mercy,” from Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, 2009 -
When I get involved, I give it my heart,
I mean my mind, my soul, my body: I mean every part.
But if it doesn’t work out, yo, it just doesn’t.
It wasn’t meant to be, you know, it just wasn’t.MC Lyte, “Paper Thin,” Lyte as a Rock, 1988 -
Others tell like it is, while I tell it how I would like it to be.
Cee-Lo, “The World I Know,” from Slam The Soundtrack, 1998 -
The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
I show love cause it’s a terrible thing to hate.Guru, “Peace of Mine,” from Gang Starr’s The Ownerz, 2003 -
To all the seeds that follow me,
Protect your essence.
Born with less, but you still precious,
Just smile for me now.2Pac, “Smile,” from Scarface’s The Untouchable, 1997 -
I got mouths to feed,
Unnecessary beef is more cows to breed.GZA, “4th Chamber,” Liquid Swords, 1995 -
In time, you’ll see a thin line between friend and rival.
Between you and me: stupidity and men’s bravado.Ka, “Iron Age,” Grief Pedigree, 2012 -
If you love someone, you should say it often,
You never know when they’ll be layin’ in a coffin.
Wake up, it’s important that you know that
No one on Earth is promised tomorrow.MC Lyte, “Poor Georgie,” Act Like You Know, 1991 -
Everything will eventually come to an end,
So try to savor the moment, cause time flies, don’t it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better,
Cause nothin’ lasts forever.Nas, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” The Lost Tapes, 2002 -
How you picture tomorrow with the wrong frame of mind?
How you picture love, if you were blind?Blu, “My Hoe,” from Statik Selektah’s Extended Play, 2013 -
Inhale deep like the words of my breath,
I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.Nas, “New York State of Mind,” Illmatic, 1994 -
Actions have reactions, don’t be quick to judge,
You may not know the hardships people don’t speak of.
It’s best to step back, and observe with couth,
For we all must meet our Moment of Truth.Guru, “Moment of Truth,” from Gang Starr’s Moment of Truth, 1998 -
You know them days you just got the blues,
All stressed and depressed from just watchin’ the news?
No matter what good you do, it seems you always get screwed.
Got you caught up in your feelings, now you off in the mood.
Shake that attitude and do what you can,
Set a couple goals, follow through with your plans.
Time waits for no man and tomorrow’s not promised,
So if she’s still alive, shoot a call to your mama.
Cause the fighting and the drama, it’s just not worth it,
Nobody’s perfect, ain’t none of us worthless.
We all got a place, and we all got a purpose.Murs, “Yesterday & Today,” Murray’s Revenge, 2006 -
…Shorty’s laugh was cold-blooded as he spoke so foul,
Only twelve tryin to tell me that he liked my style.
Then I rose, wiping the blunt’s ash from my clothes,
Then froze, only to blow the herb smoke through my nose.Nas, “One Love,” Illmatic, 1994 -
My sense of self and my mental health
Is much more powerful than any hint of wealth.Guru, “Peace of Mine,” from Gang Starr’s The Ownerz, 2003 -
Now I’m not the type that gets upset,
Try to disrespect folks just to earn respect.
But learn this fact: whether white or black,
I can’t be conquered in my style of rap.
For jealousy and envy are dumb ones’ tools,
So Ricky says nothing, he keeps his cool.
Revenge is not a mission that the Ruler’s on,
Just forgiveness required for the wrong that’s done.Slick Rick, “The Ruler’s Back,” The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, 1988 -
All we want in this life is peace, prosperity and a little paper.
Q-Tip, “Peace, Prosperity and Paper,” from High School High Soundtrack, 1996 -
Just because no one can understand how you speak,
Don’t necessarily mean that what you be sayin is deep.Talib Kweli, “Good Mourning,” from Reflection Eternal’s Train of Thought, 2000 -
We got to stay awake for all these lizards and snakes;
Some of them come as friends, some of them come as Jakes.Q-Tip, “Ill Vibe,” from Busta Rhymes’ The Coming, 1996 -
In my world, even sure bets are not certain;
‘Cause you’ll get the picture, then find out it’s the cropped version.Joe Budden, “Going Through the Motions,” Mood Muzik: The Box Set, 2012 -
It’s weak to speak and blame somebody else
…When you destroy yourself.Chuck D., “Welcome to the Terrordome,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990 -
Let bygones be bygones…but where I’m from,
We buy guns and more guns, to give to the young.Kendrick Lamar, “The Heart Pt. 2,” from O(verly) D(edicated), 2010 -
There’s a million ways to live on this thing called a planet,
I’mma live everyday, I ain’t takin’ nothing for granted.Sadat X, “The Next Spot,” from High School High soundtrack, 1996 -
Next time you see a brother down
Stop and pick him up,
Cause you might be the next one stuck.Grand Puba, “Mind Your Business,” Ya Know How It Goes 12", 1992 -
Never become so involved with something that it blinds you.
Never forget where you from; someone will remind you.DMX, “It’s On,” from DJ Clue’s The Professional, 1998 -
This generation lacks true knowledge of how the past has trapped you with psychological lassos over Adam’s apples.
Reks, “Unlearn,” REBELutionary, 2012 -
A simple right or left can mean life or death,
Epic fail or nice success,
Days of pleasure or nights of stress.Ka, “Decisions,” Grief Pedigree, 2012 -
You know the wisdom is reflected in the knowledge when it’s manifested;
If not fed in due time, the mind is anorexic.Cormega, “American Beauty,” The Realness, 2001 -
So lovers of life, don’t keep your hopes up high.
Why? Cause it’s just a matter of time before it’s your turn to die.
But until then, when you stop breathin’,
It’s time to stand up and fight for what you believe in!Sticky Fingaz, “2 Wrongz,” from Onyx’s All We Got Iz Us, 1995 -
Laugh now, cry later: this is the karma.
Hip-hop never died, it’s just sick of the drama.Cormega, “Journey,” Born and Raised, 2009 -
Lookin’ out at the world through my window pane,
Every day has many colors ‘cause the glass is stained.
Everything has changed but remains the same,
So once again the mirror raised.
And I see myself as clear as day,
And I am goin’ to the limits of my ultimate destiny,
Feeling as though somebody somewhere is testin’ me.
He who sees the end from the beginning of time
Looking forward through all the ages:
Is, was, and always shall be.MCA, “B-Boy Bouillabaisse (A Year And A Day),” from Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, 1989. Rest in power, Adam Yauch (1964 – 2012). -
I don’t respect killers, I respect O.G. knowledge,
Codes of the streets got new rules, but no guidance.
Lessons, detrimental to a young disciple;
Folks, take care of your brothers, niggas do as I do.
Keep your enemies close, where they can see you.
It’s not your enemy who get you, it’s always your own people.Nas, “In Between Us,” from Scarface’s The Fix, 2002 -
We can’t complain for this borrowed time;
So don’t misuse yours, cause you can’t borrow mine.Big K.R.I.T., “Wake Up,” 4Eva N A Day, 2012 -
Yo, where the teachers went, with all that pro-black shit?
Where all the conscious niggas, who used to chat like this?
See, I remember yesterday when y’all was Gods and Earths,
Egyptians and metaphysicists on the verge of giving birth
To Understanding, and planting seeds that grow.
Now everybody’s on that bullshit about killing and so.Wise Intelligent, “Conscious Style,” The New World Order, 1996 -
I was always taught my do’s and don’ts:
For do’s I did, and for don’ts, I said I won’t.GZA, “I Gotcha Back,” from the Fresh soundtrack, and also on Liquid Swords, 1994 -
A prejudiced man is of a devil mentality.
These are words of a wise man, wisdom;
Take a taste and erase the racism.Kool G Rap, “Erase Racism,” from Kool G Rap and DJ Polo’s Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1990 -
Truth had me up against the ropes
And semi-conscious without no boxing skills.Pharoahe Monch, “The Truth,” Internal Affairs, 1999 -
…I’ve never had a dream in my life,
Because a dream is what you wanna do, but still haven’t pursued.
I knew what I wanted, and did it till it was done.
So I’ve been the dream I wanted to be since Day One.Aesop Rock, “No Regrets,” Labor Days, 2001 -
God damn! Drug dealers dealin’ to the kiddies,
Livin’ in the city ain’t no pity on the itty-bitty.
We try to cry, but still they all die,
I try to speak to the youth, and the truth is: they all high.2Pac, “Wassup Wit The Luv?,” from Digital Underground’s The Body-Hat Syndrome, 1993 -
Pull down the shades on the windows of your soul,
And gaze into your mind and watch the wisdom unfold…Beanie Sigel, “Hypnotic,” from Memphis Bleek’s M.A.D.E., 2003 -
You would rather have a Lexus, or justice?
A dream, or some substance?
A Beamer, a necklace, or freedom?stic.man, “Hip-Hop,” from Dead Prez’ Let’s Get Free, 2000 -
In this lifetime, you got two things:
Bad and good, and ain’t nothin’ in between.Cold 187um, “Untouchable,” from Above the Law’s Livin’ Like Hustlers, 1990 -
So many programs you watch on the sofa,
But the real program sit on top of your shoulders.One Be Lo., “Propaganda,” S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M., 2005 (via emaciatedwildebeest) -
Life is a blast when you know what you’re doin’,
Best to know what you’re doin’ ‘fore your life get ruined.
Life is a thrill when your skill is developed,
If you ain’t got a skill or trade, then shut the hell up.Del the Funky Homosapien, “At the Helm,” from Hieroglyphics’ 3rd Eye Vision, 1998 -
There comes a time in every man’s life when he’s gotta handle up on his own.
Can’t depend on friends to help you in a squeeze,
Please…they got problems of their own.Slim Kid Tre, “Runnin’”, from Pharcyde’s Labcabincalifornia, 1995 -
We all seem to stumble, planning our own demise,
Getting the big picture, and making it wallet-sized.Kendrick Lamar, “Growing Apart (To Get Closer),” Overly Dedicated, 2010 -
Fuck jewels: I think my soul glows bright enough.
And fuck whips: I learn more when I ride the bus.
And fuck, it’s bad enough that we fight for bucks.
And fuck hoes: cause in the end I need a wife to love.Blu, “Show Me the Good Life,” Below the Heavens, 2007 -
Hate a liar more than I hate a thief.
A thief is only after my salary,
A liar is after my reality.50 Cent, “I’m a Hustler,” Power of the Dollar, 2000 -
And to the shorties on the block, tryin’ to twist 40 tops,
Get your act together, do some carpentry with a Black & Decker,
And stop speedin like a Kawasaki…Prospect, “The Hidden Hand,” from Fat Joe’s Don Cartagena, 1998