NOTE: in feb. 2003, saul williams recorded an anti-war polemic condemning the planned invasion of iraq, "live from no man's land - freestyle". he dropped three verses over the track for nas' "made you look". i took umbrage with both sides of the debate concerning iraq and "freestyled" the following over the course of the wee hours of 2-18-03 and the early hours of 2-19-03.

...a freestyle in three parts...

VERSE ONE

now, let's get it all in perspective
invectives against evil directives
accomplish nothing
'cause they're all ineffective
to win the game, the only way
is to refuse to play
the revolution will yield nothing
whether by gun or tongue
it's all bluffing
'cause power corrupts absolutely
regardless of structure
regardless of agenda
tears will be shed every single november
whether
democracy, socialism or military junta
man is known to his own institutions as kunta
history has set a dangerous precedent
and there's no possibility that any president
will rise above lies to realize
what the best of us hope for
that's not to say that we can't dream no more
just that the double barrel of humanity
is perpetually
aimed straight at our hearts
so, where do we start?
and why do we art?
and if there is only the game,
then what is our part?
shoot,
i made 'em look
wasn't that enough?

VERSE TWO

where the people will go, the leaders will follow
that shit rings true, but it also rings hollow
'cause the people rarely go outside of they homes
they only ever endeavor to be left the fuck alone
to pursue life, liberty and happiness, too
'cause me always seems more important than you
and, uh
what happened to us?
what happened to trust?
what happens before dust returns to dust?
the truth is: there never was room for any we
and even i and i are divided into teams
pledging allegiance to dreams
placing faith in the seams
that are knitted by ten, but kept loose by the mean
and when worst comes to worst
the worst become first
and the first are the only ones who are built to last
controlling the past and presenting the future to itself
they hold heat only able to aim at they feet
they shoot
look,
why you limpin' kid?

VERSE THREE

this ain't writin', this is life-hop
bustin' the story of man in one shot
from the beginning of time until the coming end
it's imperative
that no one will win
and no one will lose
'cause no one can choose
any other than this game of existence
resistance
to nature is futile
from nubile to senile, we stay child
any progress is mild at best
today is the test
tomorrow's the score
from yesterday through next week
it's always a war
failure galore
'cause i don't know who or what i'm fightin' for
fightin' against
the logic is nothin' but nonsense
even time well spent is not enough to make up the deficit
the only challenge one can take up is balance
'cause war is not the answer, but peace was not the query
and one independent of the other is simply a fractured theory
shoot,
i took a look
and no one was around to hear me
or even cared to listen
so not in my name
not with my life
will the game be played
i'll find me a wife
and waste away my days
sippin' tequila
and the end result will be unchanged