Talib Kweli - Give 'em Hell

[dUSt]

It's sad to see a great lyricist be so against "religion", but unfortunately, what he is saying in this song is probably how 90% of our culture feels... How can we fight this?

[b]"Give 'Em Hell"[/b]

[Verse 1]
Every Sunday dressing up catching gossip at its worst
Couldn't see the difference in the Baptist and the Catholic Church
Caught up in the rapture of the first chapter and second verse
If we all God's children then what's the word of the reverend worth
Taught early that faith is blind like justice when you facing time
If we all made in God's image then that means his face is mine
Wait or it's that blasphemy it's logical it has to be
If I don't look like my father then the way I live is bastardly
Naturally that's confusion to a young'n trying to follow Christ
Taught that if you don't know Jesus then you lead a hollow life
Never question the fact that Jesus was Jewish not a Christian
Or that Christianity was law according to politicians
Who was King James?
And why did he think it was so vital to remove chapters and make his own
version of the Bible
They say Hell is underground and Heaven is in the sky
And they say that's where you go when you die but how they know

[Verse 2]
I've been to many churches I've quoted many verses
I've dealt with my base self I controlled my many urges
I used to study my lessons
It was a blessing not a curse
I learned that Heaven and Hell exist right here on Earth, word
Studied with Rastafarians and learned from the dreads that Hell is called
Babylon
And that's where them crazy boarheads dwell
They got us thinking that Muslims like to make bombs
But real Muslims believe in paradise and the resist the Shaitan
So it all sound the same to me
That's why when they say one is right and the other is wrong it just sound
like game to me
It's like God skipped past the church and came to me
No that ain't vein to me
It's just a particular way that I came to see
The difference between those who claim to be
Religious and those that say they spiritual
And recognizing that life is full of miracles
You could see my glow in a rhyme
The poem divine 'cause it coincide with a grow in the time that those who
looking for God knowin' to go inside

[Verse 3]
Yo, living in mass confusion
Looking for absolution
The gas seducing and psychopath produce the last solution
Based on his interpretation of what the words were saying
Trying to get to God but ended up doing the work of Satan
Religion create the vision
Make the Muslim hate the Christian
Make the Christian hate the Jew
Make the rules of faith
That you condition to and to you gotta follow
And God forbid you go to Hell
But if you ever walked through any ghetto then you know it well
We in the third eye of the storm

[Outro]
The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want
Just because the lord is my shepherd don't mean I gotta be no sheep
You feel me?
More blood is spilled over religion than anything in world history
We saying the same thing

[Guest]

[quote name='dUSt' post='1875836' date='May 26 2009, 06:07 PM']It's sad to see a great lyricist be so against "religion", but unfortunately, what he is saying in this song is probably how 90% of our culture feels... How can we fight this?

[b]"Give 'Em Hell"[/b]

[Verse 1]
Every Sunday dressing up catching gossip at its worst
Couldn't see the difference in the Baptist and the Catholic Church
Caught up in the rapture of the first chapter and second verse
If we all God's children then what's the word of the reverend worth
Taught early that faith is blind like justice when you facing time
If we all made in God's image then that means his face is mine
Wait or it's that blasphemy it's logical it has to be
If I don't look like my father then the way I live is bastardly
Naturally that's confusion to a young'n trying to follow Christ
Taught that if you don't know Jesus then you lead a hollow life
Never question the fact that Jesus was Jewish not a Christian
Or that Christianity was law according to politicians
Who was King James?
And why did he think it was so vital to remove chapters and make his own
version of the Bible
They say Hell is underground and Heaven is in the sky
And they say that's where you go when you die but how they know

[Verse 2]
I've been to many churches I've quoted many verses
I've dealt with my base self I controlled my many urges
I used to study my lessons
It was a blessing not a curse
I learned that Heaven and Hell exist right here on Earth, word
Studied with Rastafarians and learned from the dreads that Hell is called
Babylon
And that's where them crazy boarheads dwell
They got us thinking that Muslims like to make bombs
But real Muslims believe in paradise and the resist the Shaitan
So it all sound the same to me
That's why when they say one is right and the other is wrong it just sound
like game to me
It's like God skipped past the church and came to me
No that ain't vein to me
It's just a particular way that I came to see
The difference between those who claim to be
Religious and those that say they spiritual
And recognizing that life is full of miracles
You could see my glow in a rhyme
The poem divine 'cause it coincide with a grow in the time that those who
looking for God knowin' to go inside

[Verse 3]
Yo, living in mass confusion
Looking for absolution
The gas seducing and psychopath produce the last solution
Based on his interpretation of what the words were saying
Trying to get to God but ended up doing the work of Satan
Religion create the vision
Make the Muslim hate the Christian
Make the Christian hate the Jew
Make the rules of faith
That you condition to and to you gotta follow
And God forbid you go to Hell
But if you ever walked through any ghetto then you know it well
We in the third eye of the storm

[Outro]
The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want
Just because the lord is my shepherd don't mean I gotta be no sheep
You feel me?
More blood is spilled over religion than anything in world history
We saying the same thing[/quote]


Talib Kweli is a dope mc. At least he's saying what's on his heart and not just rapping about money and the world. With that being said I think he needs to be shown the verse in the Bible where Jesus says " Whoever does not eat my flesh and drink my blood has no life in them." I think it's as simple as that. This song is filled with a new age type of thinking. He says God is "in him" which may be true. But without Jesus Christ you'll never get to God. That's why Christ had to come and die on the cross and the way He did. Do you think He wanted to do that ? Did He want to sweat blood ? I don't think He did but that was the only way we could ever come to God in peace and live forever.

What I like about Talib Kweli and Kanye West is at least they start dialouge. At least their saying how they feel and acknowledging they dont have faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It's better they do this then lie about it and pretend to believe something they don't. You ask what can we do to fight this ? I think your doing it man. You got Phatmass in motion and the truth is here. You got artist defending the faith through hiphop with music that isn't watered down or devoid of the truth. Mabey the Talib Kweli's and the Kanye West and those like them will stumble here sometime. Mabey then a seed can be planted. The truth is though [font="Arial Black"]The Antichrist[/font] is coming. Wether it be 10 years from now or 50. But when the antichrist does come he's going to appeal to everything that Talib Kweli just rapped about in this song. And he is going to perform miracles along with it. So many will be decieved.....

Edited May 26, 2009 by Guest

[Guest]

[quote name='dUSt' post='1875836' date='May 26 2009, 06:07 PM']It's sad to see a great lyricist

[b]"Give 'Em Hell"[/b]

[Verse 1]
Every Sunday dressing up catching gossip at its worst
Couldn't see the difference in the Baptist and the Catholic Church[/quote]


Evidently he doesn't attend the types of Catholic Churches I have. I don't see most people dressed up and I don't here alot of talking and gossiping. I do see alot of come as you are and silent people in prayer and reverence for God the Lord.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Guest

[musturde]

I don't think there is a response. The dude's just being real, he didn't find truth in Christianity. That's why he's Muslim. He might be generalizing Christianity too much but that's how he sees it.

Edited May 26, 2009 by musturde

[Seven77]

Most of these worldly emcees believe all that...its psuedo-Islamic new age type hip-hop. I think of Kweli, Mos Def, Jeru, etc. Although... these lyrics seem more open...

What great Catholics theyd be...

I think that Catholic emcees need to enter in and make some noise...give em Heaven.

[musturde]

[quote name='Seven77' post='1876016' date='May 26 2009, 09:13 PM']Most of these worldly emcees believe all that...its psuedo-Islamic new age type hip-hop. I think of Kweli, Mos Def, Jeru, etc. Although... these lyrics seem more open...

What great Catholics theyd be...

I think that Catholic emcees need to enter in and make some noise...give em Heaven.[/quote]

Actually, I made a mistake, I don't think he's either Muslim or Christian. I just assumed he was Muslim based off of his arabic name.

[quote]People let me paint a picture
[b]You know I ain't a christian
I ain't a muslim, ain't a jew
I'm losing my religion
I speak to god directly
I know my god respect me[/b]
Cause he let me breathe his air and he really blessed me
I ain't knocking you, but I don't f with hospitals
Spit the gospel, truly knowing jesus like apostles do
Return like the prodigal son to honor Mohammed too
Stay away from ham like Abraham, Lord'll follow you
Even when you took my man Chaka God and what I'm a do
You gave the hood a modern day martyr in Brother Amadou
I'm on the block, I'm tracing your footsteps, I keep the faith in you
Your love, plus hard work and ambition
We gonna make it through, my songs is psalms I'm spiritual when I'm lyrical
This is for my soldier n*s looking in the mirror who
Sitting home scratching off serials eating cereal
The way we find a way to survive, s* is a miracle
We got mice in the crib and roaches in the toasters, rice in the fridge
Bread in the oven by the roaster
We be takin' gypsy cabs and chasin' 50 bags
They be laced with s*y swag and it really get me mad
The way we saluting flags, wrapping them around our heads
when n*z ain't become American till 9/11
Feeling like you gotta sneak into heaven
When the reverend looking like a pimp and the pimp look like the reverend[/quote]

[Akalyte]

This is what you call the typical "Not sure if im a christian, not sure if im a jew and not sure if im a muslim 5 percenter garbage. lol Nas, Killah Priest. Lauryn Hill, wu-tang,mobb deep, their language all sounds the same.

[Seven77]

[quote name='Akalyte' post='1891221' date='Jun 15 2009, 04:52 AM']This is what you call the typical "Not sure if im a christian, not sure if im a jew and not sure if im a muslim 5 percenter garbage. lol Nas, Killah Priest. Lauryn Hill, wu-tang,mobb deep, their language all sounds the same.[/quote]

word. it's the same philosophy recycled and rehashed. fashionable and stylish.

[musturde]

[quote name='Akalyte' post='1891221' date='Jun 15 2009, 05:52 AM']This is what you call the typical "Not sure if im a christian, not sure if im a jew and not sure if im a muslim 5 percenter garbage. lol Nas, Killah Priest. Lauryn Hill, wu-tang,mobb deep, their language all sounds the same.[/quote]

I don't think he believes in any specific religion.
I think he was just being critical of them.