Erase Racism Lyrics

[Intro: Biz Markie & Kool G Rap]
Yo, V, bring that beat in
Yeah, that's aight
Ahhh, man!
Yo, G, yo, Kool G, yo
I'm doin' this right here
We got Big Daddy Kane over there
We all gonna do just one part
Because you know, we came a long way
You know, from back in Martin Luther King days, Malcolm X

Ain't hard to tell
Now, now, now that we see Nelson N-Nelson Mandela's free!
We gonna talk about this, we gonna talk about this racism
Stop that! You know what I'm sayin'? We gonna stop that
So G, why don't you just do your rhymin' part
And then I'll come on after you
Aight, check it out, here we go

[Verse 1: Kool G Rap]
Yo, I'm tryin' hard to explore
I'm not sure what are the racial wars for

It's makin' me more sore
I walk through a color blind corridor
Seekin' for peace in the people I'm meetin'
Black, white and Puerto Rican men are greetin' each other
Just like brothers, there's plenty and many of others
You can discover; kids, fathers and mothers
A melting pot, no one felt they got prejudiced
Listen, I could never assist someone diss this
A landscape, with a dark and a light handshake
Havin' fun, without one bein' a fake snake
So let's form a rainbow over the mountain
And let's drink from the same water fountain
Let's make our Earth Days a story of
People that walk through the same territories
Color or creed, there's no need for a man to bleed
I believe we all breathe the same seed
Unless it's diluted, for somethin' to intrude it
Then I see your family tree was uprooted
So don't be foolish if you're Jewish or Hindu
The racial manual is the evil that men do
I was raised in a Nation of Asian
Hate shouldn't separate Jamaican from Haitian
So if you're givin' in your ears, I hope your hear me and
Siberian's no better than Nigerian
I bring a rattle to a battle that you see me in
I'm no villain, so why would I be killin' Indians?
My nationality's reality
And yo, a prejudiced man is of a devil mentality

These are words of a wise man, wisdom!
Take a taste and erase the racism
[Hook: Biz Markie]
The ink is black, the page is white
Together, we learn how to read and write
People are black, got people that's white
Let's stop racism, and let's unite


[Bridge: Biz Markie]
Yo, yo, Kane, why don't you do your part
And then let me do mine and then we get outta here
Go ahead, bet!

[Verse 2: Big Daddy Kane]
In the days of slavery
Some got to run away, and many got done away
Inferiority is what some men say

But that shit played out with Kunta Kinte
Then again, in the streets of New York
I think of Yusef Hawkins, and I see you're still stalkin'
And when I think of areas like Bensonhurst
Huh! Notice how I mentioned hearse

We gotta better this world of prejudice
People — make peace and learn to live equal
'Cause I don't look at myself as a
Coon or a mooley that would have to say "Massa"
You better believe that I'm an Asiatic descendant
And I know what's been amended and intended
So let's fulfill and get real
And try to build a united nation, eliminate segregation
I know there's different strokes for different folks
But I also acknowledge what hatred provokes
So don't hate me or try to underrate me
'Cause I collect ends, drive a Benz and live greatly

And we can all live together in harmony
Without thinkin' what color is harmin' me
If I'm a slave, I'm a slave to the rhythm
To E-R-A-S-E the racism
[Hook]
The ink is black, the page is white
Together, we learn how to read and write
Some people are black, there's people that's white
Let's stop racism, and, let's unite


[Outro: Biz Markie]
To the black and the white, the red and the yellow
To all the nationalities, I'd like to say hello
And I hope they stop racism, and it's comin' from our hearts
Me, Kool G Rap, Polo, Big Daddy Kane, Cool V
And of course, the Diabolical one Biz Markie
I hope ya stop racism
Peace!

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About

Genius Annotation

Kool G. Rap collaborates with Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie, both former members of the Juice Crew too, to speak out against racism in “Erase Racism”, a song inspired by the killing of Yusef Hawkins – a 16-year-old African American youth who was shot to death on August 23, 1989 by a white mob.

The chorus is interpolated from “Black and White” by Three Dog Night, a song originally written by Earl Robinson in 1954.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Kool G Rap & DJ Polo say about "Erase Racism"?
Genius Answer

There was a whole situation with Yusef Hawkins at the time. He had gotten jumped and beaten until he died. It was a racial attack. The song was inspired by this and came from the heart. We went to the same neighborhood where he was killed at to do the video. We had people who lived in the neighborhood out there in the video.

I had already been to the UK twice by this point, and seen different places. Hip-Hop crossed a lot of bridges and made bridges too. It removed gaps between different ethnicities and connected the world, no matter what race.

via Complex

Credits
Produced By
Release Date
January 1, 1990
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