"What'd you do last night?"
   "We did umm, two whole cars
   It was me, Dez, and Main Three right?
   And on the first car in small letters it said
   'All you see is..' and then you know
   big, big, you know some block silver letters
   that said '..crime in the city' right?"
   "It just took up the whole car?"
   "Yeah yeah, it was a whole car and shit..."
  
   [spanish speaking woman] Escuchela.. la ciudad respirando
   (translation of spanish: Listen to it.. the city breathing)
  
   * woman repeats 3X *
  
   [spanish speaking woman] Escuchela..
  
   [Mos Def]
   The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis
   Shinin, like who on top of this?
   People was tusslin, arguin and bustlin
   Gangstaz of Gotham hardcore hustlin
   I'm wrestlin with words and ideas
   My ears is picky, seekin what will transmit
   the scribes can apply to transcript, yo
   This ain't no time where the usual is suitable
   Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable
   The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
   Strength in metal and fiber optics
   where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
   for profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
   Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin class watches
   Skyscrapers is collosus, the cost of living
   is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options
   No Batman and Robin, can't tell between
   the cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless
   With no conscience, back streets stay darkened
   Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
   My eagle talons STAY sharpened, like city lights stay throbbin
   You either make a way or stay sobbin, the Shiny Apple
   is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat
   You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat
   Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down
   Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages
   My narrative, rose to explain this existance
   Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance
  
   So much on my mind that I can't recline
   Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine
   Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
   Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
   Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
   I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin
   Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening
   Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
  
   [Talib Kweli]
   Breathin in deep city breaths, sittin on shitty steps
   we stoop to new lows, hell froze the night the city slept
   The beast crept through concrete jungles
   communicatin with one another
   And ghetto birds where waters fall
   from the hydrants to the gutters
   The beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin
   You on the wrong side of the track, lookin visibly shaken
   Taken them plungers, plungin to death that's painted by the numbers
   with crime unapplied pressure, cats is playin God
   but havin children by a lesser baby mother but fuck it
   we played against each other like puppets, swearin you got pull
   when the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes
   Gettin knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise
   Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog
   is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene
   Thoughts that people put in the air
   Places where you could get murdered over a glare
   But everything is fair
   It's a paradox we call reality
   So keepin it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality
   Killers Born Naturally like, Mickey and Mallory
   Not knowing the ways'll get you capped like an NBA salary
   Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing
   Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin what you believe in
   For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted
   I'm asking if y'all feel me AND THE CROWD LEFT ME STRANDED
   My blood pressure boiled and rose, cause New York niggaz
   actin spoiled at shows, to the winners the spoils go
   I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates
   New York life type trife the Roman Empire state
  
   [Mos Def and crew]
   So much on my mind I just can't recline
   Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine
   Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
   Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
   Yo don't the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
   I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin
   Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening
   Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
  
   [spanish speaking woman] Escuchela.. respirando ??
  
   [Common]
   Yo...on The Amen, Corner I stood lookin at my former hood
   Felt the spirit in the wind, knew my friend was gone for good
   Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it
   Mixin down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered
   I coreograph seven steps to heaven
   And hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leavened
   Veteran of a cold war It's Chica-I-go for
   What I know or, what's known
   So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home
   From the crib I spend months gone
   Sat by the window with a clutched dome listenin to shorties cuss long
   Young girls with weak minds, but they butt strong
   Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord, but didn't have a touch-tone
   It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on
   Some of this land I must own
   Outta the city, they want us gone
   Tearin down the 'jects creatin plush homes
   My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones
   Surrounded by hate, yet I love home
   Ask my God how he thought travellin the world sound
   Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown
   It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep
   Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
   Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep
   Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
  
   [Mos Def and crew]
   So much on my mind I just can't recline
   Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine
   Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
   Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
   Yo how the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
   I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing
   Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening
   Kiss the Ide's goodbye, I'm on the last train leaving