Beloved ’90s-era alternative hip-hop act De La Soul are back after a 10-year hiatus (it's been a decade since all three members of De La Soul recorded a studio album together) with the compelling politcally conscious song, entitled "The People" featuring a guest verse from Public Enemy frontman Chuck D.
De La Soul's Trugoy stated that the song was inspired from life experience and current events ("The idea for the song came from a couple of samples, and the track's vibe is earnest and has a pressing tone to it. The lyrics are commentaries of our struggles and successes, our weaknesses and strengths... the experiences... and trials and tribulations we have faced as human beings, a race, and as individuals. Lyrically Chuck brings a sense of authority and urgency. The power in his voice demands your attention. With Chuck on the track this is a dream come true for us. Originally "The People" was suppose to drop in June around the same time the Chuck D/Hot 97/Peter Rosenberg situation took place. We chose to hold off and not add fuel to any fires. Our next aim was for a Black Friday release. Coincidentally the Ferguson tragedy took place, and more recently the non-indictment verdict. Somehow this song was destined to be a part of something more than just dropping a joint. We hope it will lend itself to something positive in these difficult times.")
"The People" Lyrics
(Intro)
Now
Usually when a party is given, right
It's given by a promoter, right
And the promoter has his own people distributing fliers and advertising to get people to come down to the party
But this time
The promoter that gave the party
He was so, like, down
And such a together brother, you know what I'm saying
We threw down with him
To try to make the party a little something
Now I don't know how many people remember who gave you a flier for the party
But if you didn't see it hanging up somewhere one of us probably gave it to you
Cause we was busting our ass giving these fliers out
Trying to get this thing, you know, a nice size for y'all
(Hook)
We are people yeah
[Verse 1]
We are the ones left to make due with the two hands the good Lord gave us
With no resources enthroned to the forces that be with no one to save us
The ones in the classroom where the books are outdated, teacher no longer outspoken
The ones left to congregate where the pusher gives a fix to those who had their dreams broken
The ones left to drown and rebuild the towns in the path of the waters from the levies
The ones with the problems of the world on they back to make light of the fact that the weight is getting heavy
We are the ones who have daughters and sons who commit themselves to having unsafe nights
The ones who lost family in 9/11 hours after telling them to have a safe flight
We are the one
(Hook)
(Verse 2: Chuck D)
We be the soul, the human core, the planet whose blood, sweat and tears even we take for granted
We the ones separated by wardens at international borders [?] to take government orders
We are the ones with the same childhood dreams but adulthood brings nightmares and screams
We be the raw excuse to slang, I mean, we the people they stereotype for gangs
Who sowed the seed for our daughters and sons, withstand the infiltration of drugs and guns
We are the ones who kneel to the young with a heart of gold to avoid being victimized by our sons
We be the ones trying to raise them into all man brothers got some whipping post from coast to coast
We are the people run down, lied to, cried to, still they depend on our culture to live and dance to
We are the people
Still the wretched of the earth
At the end of God's day
We persevere through the hurt
We are the ones
(Hook)
(Break)
We are the world
(Verse 3)
Come on, Michael, that's a motherfucking lie
We the people at the fish fry
We the eighty six percent with heart disease
Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike shoes wearing, no banking accounts
No misbehaving, catching the blame
Same old same lotto playing
Looking to Obama for deliverance
But ever since they popped Malcolm and Martin
We at the front of the bus now, pouting
Complacence ain't nothing but a lazy man's sofa
You can see the whole scope [?]
With a video hostess ho
We're emotional, but if we [?] I think we're supposed to roll
But we the same lying, cheating, backstabbing
We part of our own struggle
We would burst our neighbor's bubble
Destined to meet the maker but at the same time we the same people late for his arrival
Yo, a false survival
No longer feeling tribal
And as much as it makes me feel good to say "we are beautiful people"
There's a lot of us messing it up
For the people
(Hook)
De La Soul's Trugoy stated that the song was inspired from life experience and current events ("The idea for the song came from a couple of samples, and the track's vibe is earnest and has a pressing tone to it. The lyrics are commentaries of our struggles and successes, our weaknesses and strengths... the experiences... and trials and tribulations we have faced as human beings, a race, and as individuals. Lyrically Chuck brings a sense of authority and urgency. The power in his voice demands your attention. With Chuck on the track this is a dream come true for us. Originally "The People" was suppose to drop in June around the same time the Chuck D/Hot 97/Peter Rosenberg situation took place. We chose to hold off and not add fuel to any fires. Our next aim was for a Black Friday release. Coincidentally the Ferguson tragedy took place, and more recently the non-indictment verdict. Somehow this song was destined to be a part of something more than just dropping a joint. We hope it will lend itself to something positive in these difficult times.")
"The People" Lyrics
(Intro)
Now
Usually when a party is given, right
It's given by a promoter, right
And the promoter has his own people distributing fliers and advertising to get people to come down to the party
But this time
The promoter that gave the party
He was so, like, down
And such a together brother, you know what I'm saying
We threw down with him
To try to make the party a little something
Now I don't know how many people remember who gave you a flier for the party
But if you didn't see it hanging up somewhere one of us probably gave it to you
Cause we was busting our ass giving these fliers out
Trying to get this thing, you know, a nice size for y'all
(Hook)
We are people yeah
[Verse 1]
We are the ones left to make due with the two hands the good Lord gave us
With no resources enthroned to the forces that be with no one to save us
The ones in the classroom where the books are outdated, teacher no longer outspoken
The ones left to congregate where the pusher gives a fix to those who had their dreams broken
The ones left to drown and rebuild the towns in the path of the waters from the levies
The ones with the problems of the world on they back to make light of the fact that the weight is getting heavy
We are the ones who have daughters and sons who commit themselves to having unsafe nights
The ones who lost family in 9/11 hours after telling them to have a safe flight
We are the one
(Hook)
(Verse 2: Chuck D)
We be the soul, the human core, the planet whose blood, sweat and tears even we take for granted
We the ones separated by wardens at international borders [?] to take government orders
We are the ones with the same childhood dreams but adulthood brings nightmares and screams
We be the raw excuse to slang, I mean, we the people they stereotype for gangs
Who sowed the seed for our daughters and sons, withstand the infiltration of drugs and guns
We are the ones who kneel to the young with a heart of gold to avoid being victimized by our sons
We be the ones trying to raise them into all man brothers got some whipping post from coast to coast
We are the people run down, lied to, cried to, still they depend on our culture to live and dance to
We are the people
Still the wretched of the earth
At the end of God's day
We persevere through the hurt
We are the ones
(Hook)
(Break)
We are the world
(Verse 3)
Come on, Michael, that's a motherfucking lie
We the people at the fish fry
We the eighty six percent with heart disease
Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike shoes wearing, no banking accounts
No misbehaving, catching the blame
Same old same lotto playing
Looking to Obama for deliverance
But ever since they popped Malcolm and Martin
We at the front of the bus now, pouting
Complacence ain't nothing but a lazy man's sofa
You can see the whole scope [?]
With a video hostess ho
We're emotional, but if we [?] I think we're supposed to roll
But we the same lying, cheating, backstabbing
We part of our own struggle
We would burst our neighbor's bubble
Destined to meet the maker but at the same time we the same people late for his arrival
Yo, a false survival
No longer feeling tribal
And as much as it makes me feel good to say "we are beautiful people"
There's a lot of us messing it up
For the people
(Hook)
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