{*sound of a camera taking a picture*}
~#**************#~
[Intro: Serena Altschul (Jay-Z)]
~#**************#~
(Millennium flow)
~#**************#~
Serena Altschuls here live outside the criminal courthouse
~#**************#~
(This is {bullshit} yall)
~#**************#~
In New York City for the first day in the trial of
~#**************#~
(Im gone) {*car speeds off*}
~#**************#~
The State vs. Shawn Carter, a.k.a. Jay-Z
~#**************#~
(Uhh, uh-huh-uh, uhh, uh-huh-uh, uhh)
~#**************#~
Whatever the verdict in this trial may be
~#**************#~
The effects will undoubtedly be felt worldwide
~#**************#~
[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
~#**************#~
Ayo, stand forward, ‘fore you take notice
~#**************#~
Or witness to me killin the track
~#**************#~
Testify til me spillin the smack
~#**************#~
Now they got me for traffickin, racketeerin, audio crack
~#**************#~
They call me dope man, dope man
~#**************#~
I try to tell em Im where hope, floats man
~#**************#~
Ghetto spokes-man
~#**************#~
A broke man, approachin the bench with intent
~#**************#~
To bury me under the cell, fingered me as the toast man
~#**************#~
Evidence stemmin from ninety-six
~#**************#~
They say the world aint recovered from his fix
~#**************#~
While they was usin cut, I was on some other shit
~#**************#~
Gave it to you raw and they just discovered it
~#**************#~
Nowaday, the jury got they brow raised
~#**************#~
Listenin to testimony about my foul ways
~#**************#~
Exhibit A: Reasonable Doubt
~#**************#~
They say this was the first thing that turned the peoples out
~#**************#~
[Interlude: Serena Altschul]
~#**************#~
You can feel the tension building here
~#**************#~
As an unprecedented number of people have turned out
~#**************#~
For what may be the trial of the century
~#**************#~
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
~#**************#~
They call me dope man, dope man
~#**************#~
I try to tell em Im where hope, floats man
~#**************#~
Ghetto spokes-man
~#**************#~
[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
~#**************#~
How come, you label your brand of dope
~#**************#~
Vol. 1 and spread it through the slums?
~#**************#~
Fed it to the young with total disregard
~#**************#~
Your honor, the State seeks the maximum charge
~#**************#~
And how could you, turn right around
~#**************#~
And release a lethal dosage called Vol. 2
~#**************#~
And is true you operate the criminal enterprise
~#**************#~
Known as Roc-A-Fella in charge of his meteoric rise?
~#**************#~
And do you deny youre responsible for the demise
~#**************#~
Of record execs, and do you object?
~#**************#~
Your distributions Polygram, and through your connects
~#**************#~
Def Jam, you pushed over five million SoundScan
~#**************#~
And not to mention, your co-horts and henchmen
~#**************#~
Dame, Biggs, Lyor, Kev and Russell Simmons
~#**************#~
And we aint gon talk about Murder Inc
~#**************#~
That just establishes a darker deeper criminal link
~#**************#~
[Interlude: Serena Altschul]
~#**************#~
The State is seeking the maximum penalty
~#**************#~
And with the overwhelmin amount of evidence
~#**************#~
The D.A.s presented, things arent lookin good
~#**************#~
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
~#**************#~
They call me dope man, dope man
~#**************#~
I try to tell em Im where hope, floats man
~#**************#~
Ghetto spokes-man
~#**************#~
[Interlude: Serena Altschul]
~#**************#~
Despite the grim outlook at this point
~#**************#~
The rapper has been known to emerge triumphant
~#**************#~
In the face of adversity
~#**************#~
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
~#**************#~
They call me dope man, dope man
~#**************#~
I try to tell em Im where hope, floats man
~#**************#~
Ghetto spokes-man
~#**************#~
[Break: Serena Altschul]
~#**************#~
Jay-Z is taking the stand
~#**************#~
[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
~#**************#~
Right hand on the Bible, left hand in the air
~#**************#~
Before I spoke one word, made sure my throat was clear
~#**************#~
A-hem, Im a prisoner of circumstance
~#**************#~
Frail nigga, I couldnt much work with my hands
~#**************#~
But my mind was strong, I grew where you hold your blacks up
~#**************#~
Trap us, expect us not to pick gats up
~#**************#~
Where you drop your cracks off by the Mack trucks
~#**************#~
Destroy our dreams of lawyers and actors
~#**************#~
Keep us spiralin, goin backwards
~#**************#~
At age nine, saw my first hate crime
~#**************#~
Blindfolded, expected to walk a straight line
~#**************#~
Mind molded, taught to love you and hate mine
~#**************#~
Climbed over it, at a early age, Jay shined
~#**************#~
Fuck the system at Lady Justice I blaze nine
~#**************#~
Your Honor, I no longer kill my people, I raise mine
~#**************#~
The soul of Mumia in this modern day time
~#**************#~
[Interlude: Serena Altschul]
~#**************#~
While the jury is inside deliberatin
~#**************#~
Outside the crowd is frozen with anticipation
~#**************#~
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
~#**************#~
They call me dope man, dope man
~#**************#~
I try to tell em Im where hope, floats man
~#**************#~
Ghetto spokes-man
~#**************#~
[Outro: Serena Altschul]
~#**************#~
Well the verdict has just been announced: NOT GUILTY!
~#**************#~
It is complete pandemonium out here!
~#**************#~
People are cheerin and huggin – there he is
~#**************#~
Jay-Z is exitin the courtroom right now
~#**************#~
There is a swarm of cameras surroundin him {*pop bulbs flashing*}
~#**************#~
And people are just rushin up to him
~#**************#~
Lets try and make our way over there, Jay-Z! Jay-Z!
~#**************#~
{*sounds of cameras keep flashin*}