Beneath the Surface

[GZA] On a man-made lake there's a sheet of thin ice Where unskilled skaters couldn't figure-8 twice That's sixteen uncut direct from the cult Head on assault, the result death by the bulk In a vault, they spoke about the average loss per mission That was seen by a king in a prophetic vision Like a plane crash from a bomb blast Special broadcast, slot time with con cash They kept the jury quiet and now the riot will form While satanic man now hang in his dorm I swing on you fake radio personalities Who boost ya ratings with hypes behind casualties And fire shots with low-pressure water gun play But instantly slap ya five like it's Palm Sunday I fashion the first tool, from the elements the Earth use And built it to a complex network of communications You're up against a hopeless situation I screen every vehicle from enemy observation Swarming unpredictably, we spread terror Increase the fog significantly, change the era Check my wind pattern, it's heading west Success is freedom but failure can mean death Humans sweat and aim shovels, dig up the debris and rubble Permanent damage caused by the W Now who cowardly urge you to merge through And think the workers will serve you? The Sonic marvel who just dropped the next novel Worldwide, rapidly marred in marble It's a countless amount of emcees I saved And them same niggas wanna squander those gifts I gave [Hook: RES sample] Scratch underneath the surface, where does your purpose lie? It seems our will is worthless, like we're pawns beneath the sky Fates erased by reason and passion's just a whim Feel empty so I breath in, keep myself from giving in [Killah Priest] Love and hatred, moments most sacred Both species, they lay naked in the tombs of oasis Think back on niggas I ate with, spent the day with Guns we played with, niggas I relate with We broke bread, I heard through a vine niggas worked for the Fed Sent out secretly to take my head I laid back and meditate to the words they said Skipped town for a month and grew some dreads Had a friend tell my family I was dead Returned at the last fall of the autumn leaf Operate the plan accordingly in case the Feds are recording me Sign all documents using forgery cause just a mere thought of me I'm like Solomon, spoke bluntly, told the world, "I'm black and comely" Howls from the grave haunt me, the smell of death's upon me I dwell in the Hills like Gandhi Been in the presence of mad peasants and old kings Who sold everything on a quest for God's Divine Slept in caves to get a clear mind Who prayed three times, when the Moon lit and when the Sun rise I met dwellers in the desert, talked to shepherds Been in the mouth of many leopards Felt the death kiss of Satan's mistress Walk through vacant districts, before religions I studied pagan scriptures True philosophers and physicians on the cure missions Who harden their hearts toward the weak, sick and inflicted Candles lit, gamble with a bitch Who made me love her when I touch her, soft paws hide claws Bees with sweet honey in they mouth Have bitter stingers at they tail Walk through the chambers of death, take a hole onto Hell Embracing her was like embracing the third rail [Hook] [Outro: RES sample] Scratch underneath the surface