Date 2020-06-20
Category Lyrics, Music Video, New Music
Reason Field Nigga
Following a passionate co-sign of J.Cole’s “Snow On Tha Bluff,” Top Dawg Entertainment and Dreamville associate Reason has officially hit the booth to deliver his own emotional reflection on the current state of the world. And in order to do so, he must first make a connection to the past, to the ugly side of history, when slavery destroyed the lives of thousands of Black Americans. In his opening bars, Reason steps into the shoes of a field slave, painting a haunting picture of the troubling dynamic that once existed.
As the story progresses, Reason slowly expands his narrative to include prominent historical figures like Harriet Tubman, transitioning from the underground railroad to the current cultural climate rife with anti-black police brutality. Though he originally wrote the first half two years ago, Reason reveals that he wrote the latest verse in response to everything that has transpired. “This is the best way I know how to give back,” he writes. “I hope this resonates and hits y’all the way it did while I was writing it. I don’t want to argue, I just want an understanding on both sides.
“Cops patrolling cities they don’t live in, badge make a brutal murder feel fair,” he raps. “Hate us for our presence cause we live here, made us travel over now you mad cause you still here.” As his verse crescendos, the power in his words grows all the more resonant; insofar as writing goes, this may be the finest penmanship of Reason’s career so far. Much respect for the TDE lyricist for sharing this one.
Reason – Field Nigga (prod. Keitel & Nabeyin)
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[Intro]
Black lives matter, black lives matter
No justice, no peace, no justice, no peace
Yeah, my master said if I speed up pickin’ cotton
He would let me in, no problem, for a couple sips of water
So
[Verse 1]
My master said if I speed up pickin’ cotton
He would let me in, no problem, for a couple sips of water
Took the water that he handed to me, gave it to my daughter
Field nigga
My master told me to relax a couple hours
To regenerate some power, we been in these fields plowin’
Sun beamin’ down, had to thank him
’Cause he always lookin’ out, field nigga
My master told me he was ’bout to sell my brother
And our youngest baby cousin, this owner was payin’ double
Had to thank him for the heads-up
Other than that, I ain’t said much, field nigga
Shit, this mornin’ my master gave me some wickers, Friday, I was trippin’
Saw I had a woman, ayy write a couple of inches
This type of consideration is a privilege, field nigga
Shit, last night I’m singin’ “Wade in the Water,” just thinkin’ about my night
Heard a knock on the window, saw a shadow in sight
Went out to see who it was, the vision just gave me life
Harriet talked to me, said it would all be alright
“Be back in a couple days, gather up all the slaves”
Left in a couple of seconds so no attention was raised
But why leave the place that I was raised?
Field nigga, that’s all I know
The next day, had a talk with my baby cousin
Sat him down with my brother, told ’em everything she said
He look at me like I’m buggin’, but at this point this shit is all or nothin’, field nigga
Shit, my wife just told me she think she pregnant
Pause for a second, tears in my eyes as I started to cry
Realizin’ that the baby wasn’t mine, field nigga
Couple nights later, broke into my master house
Grabbed me a loaded rifle, don’t know how to really shoot it
But fuck it, nigga, I’m tryin’
And got him while he sleep, left a couple bullets inside him
His wife sittin’ there, cryin’, prayin’ over a Bible
Give a fuck about your Bible, give a fuck about your title
My wife showin’, this should be a moment of excitement
And he owed that to me, then he stole that from me
Brrat, brrat, a couple shots, you could hold that for me
Sprintin’ into the fields, saw Harriet waitin’ there
Gathered the other slaves, they heard the shots in the air
Prayin’ heavy while we runnin’ now
Headed to this road, heard they nicknamed it “Underground”
Been a couple days, we been starvin’, food runnin’ out
My cousin ain’t make it
Only got one foot and they caught him at the plantation
Brother took it hard and I’m wishin’ that we could save him, so
[Break]
(Yeah) It’s okay, I’m right here with you
Shit painful
So, yeah
[Verse 2]
Cops patrollin’ cities they don’t live in
Badge make a brutal murderer feel fear
Hate us for our presence ’cause we live here
Made us travel over, now you mad ’cause we still here
I don’t wanna argue about who’s better
Truthfully, that argument’s what led us
To a place of bitter feelings, I look down at my skin
That’s the reason you killin’ niggas, this shit don’t mean nothin’
I can’t kick it with the homies out, ’cause cops starin’
Can’t walk the wrong neighborhoods, hi Karen
You focus on the riots, you gon’ focus on the lootin’
You gon’ focus on the violence, everything besides the shootin’
You can’t hear us cryin’
Let me tear, a cry for help, you see, my feeling’s hurt
Get mad we started violence, y’all did it first
Want you to judge me off nothin’ more than my actions
We been fragile with no matter
I been stamped from my birth as a nigga that might be packin’
Or, I might have priors, or, I’m sellin’ drugs
‘Cause I can’t get hired
Complain about the smoke when racism lit the fire
We been broken, we been tired
I been yellin’, screaming’, quiet
‘Cause the black voice don’t travel like the white’s do
Shit, black voice don’t travel like the white’s do
Wish I could see it from the white’s view
[Outro]
If it shows that I hate my country
When the fuck my country ever love me?
If it shows that I hate my country
When the fuck my country ever love me?
If it shows that I hate my country
When the fuck my country ever love me?
So, happy Juneteenth