Verse 1 Red berets, leather coats, free breakfast at dawn Books before bullets, yeah, that’s how it spawned Studied Mao, studied law, knew the system was rigged Fed the kids, armed the mind, kept the message big Now fast-forward — hashtags, fists in a frame Corporate sponsors chanting freedom by name Boardrooms nod while the streets still bleed Revolution merch hanging right next to greed Pre-Chorus Same word, different weight Same fire, different gate One built power from the ground One learned how to monetize rage Chorus Black Panthers said build, said read, said stand BLM went viral, lost grip of the plan Red berets versus blue check clout One fought the system — one got filtered out History’s knocking, asking who you serve The people or the purse, the truth or the nerve Same pain, different routes One fed the block — one sold the shout Verse 2 Panthers knew COINTEL was watching the door So they studied the law like a loaded .44 Not a gun — I mean knowledge, let me make it plain Knowing rights was a weapon they couldn’t chain Now protests livestreamed, data sold cheap Anger tracked, tagged, put to sleep Leaders disappear into nonprofit rooms While the block still waits on overdue booms Pre-Chorus No breakfast program in a trending tweet No liberation in a corporate speech If the logo’s clean and the donors proud Ask who’s silenced when the mic gets loud Chorus Black Panthers said build, said read, said stand BLM went viral, lost grip of the plan Red berets versus blue check clout One fought the system — one got filtered out History’s knocking, asking who you serve The people or the purse, the truth or the nerve Same pain, different routes One fed the block — one sold the shout Bridge (Spoken Word) This ain’t denial of pain This ain’t betrayal of blood This is elders asking What happened to us? When resistance became branding And outrage learned PR When the movement forgot Who the Panthers really are Verse 3 Panthers scared power ‘cause they taught self-reliance No saviors, no sponsors, no fake compliance BLM scared nobody with money to lose That’s why the checks cleared and the cameras stayed smooth You can’t hashtag liberation into being Can’t algorithm your way into seeing If the system loves you, promotes your cry Ask why Fred Hampton had to die Final Chorus Black Panthers weren’t perfect — but they were real Built something solid the state had to feel BLM had the mic, had the stage, had the light But forgot revolution don’t ask to be liked Red berets in the rearview, still haunting the frame Asking who twisted the struggle into a name Same fight, different outcomes One left roots — one left accounts Outro This ain’t anti-Black This ain’t pro-pain It’s pro-memory And anti-chain
