Call me an old head, but I can’t call songs from 2002 old school. Just can’t do. For me old school is mid 80s to early 90s, when hip hop was at a creative golden age. But still this track by Mos Def brings me back. It was released on the soundtrack of Brown Sugar, a film I’ve seen more times than I can count. I’m not sure why I kept watching this movie, maybe it was all the hip hop references, maybe it was Taye Diggs being, well masha’Allah, maybe it was to see Sanaa Lathan play the same role she always plays. The other day, a friend mentioned that a lot of Black Americans are just angry. We need something to lift us up, and this film was a light hearted romance that did just that. But really this blog entry is not about the film. No, it’s about how I’m really vibin’ off this song right. It’s definitely in my iPod and plays in the background like the soundtrack to my life. Brown Sugar, along with some tracks by Jurassic 5 and Talib Kweli, really have me jonezin’ for home. By home, I mean the States and all the places I roam in the Bay, my grandmother’s house in New Jersey, brown people I see, the love that I feel when I’m around friends and family. Loved my stay in Egypt, but they are not even really feeling brown sugar like they do in the States. And I have lots of love for my peoples. Ten days left, and I’m about to set it off!

So, here’s to Mos Def:

Mos Def
Brown Sugar (Fine)
2002

(if you invited me)
yeah, Cav Love, brown sugar
Bout to set it like, yeah yeah y’all (uh huh)
yeah yeah y’all (uh huh) yeah yeah y’all (uh huh)
(if you invited me)
Adjust my mic so I can touch it up right quick
Show ’em how Brooklyn do, you know what I mean? (no doubt)
Listen, yo

Let’s start it up (start it up)
Let’s get it flowin (get it flowin)
Let’s make a move (make a move)
Let’s get it goin (haha)
I know it’s feelin like everything you want, don’t it?
And you been waitin your whole life for one moment
Well baby here it is (here it is)
You better step to it (step to it)
I know you ready right (ready y’all)
Then baby let’s do it (let’s do it)
Put your neck to it, put your arms and legs next to it
Then put whatever else is left to it
See you’re all in (all in) now you about to rock ’em
Got your focus man, now they got a problem
Who you talkin to? son right there
The man in the mirror, I see him quite clear
Do your thing Cav (yeah son)
Work it out dog (work it out)
Open up their minds (open up)
Be about yours (bout yours)
Silence everyone who ever try to doubt yours
Get your mind right (mind right)
Keep your sound raw (sound raw)
Heavy bass man (bass man)
Make it bounce more (bounce more)
Make ’em feel it from to the ceilin to the ground floor
(if you invited me)
How it sound y’all? I know it’s crazy, right
I know it’s crazy tight, don’t ever take me light
It’s Cav Love y’all (Cav Love y’all)
And that’s what’s up y’all (sup y’all)
I peeped in, I know exactly what you want y’all
I make it jump y’all (jump y’all)
So put ’em up y’all (up y’all)
Brown Sugar, Brooklyn, it’s bout to jump off

[Hook: Mos Def and singer]
You got to (give it to me)
You need to (give it to me) (uh huh)
You better (give it to me)
(give it to me) ha ha, brown sugar
Leave the ground shook up (uh)
Got the world sweatin like fiends without cook up
Come on, you know you really wanna (give it to me)
You better (give it to me)
You got to (give it to me)
(give it to me) brown sugar, ha
Lick your lips to it
Work your hips to it (ha)
And steady rockin like this to it

[Mos Def]
It’s like one, two, three, and to the four
The brother Cavvy Cav is here so let him know
This for my hustlers (my hustlers)
This for my scramblers (scramblers)
This for my sexy mamis (sexy mamis)
This for everybody (everybody)
Bang it at any party and watch ’em rock to it
Bounce some pop to it, this here’s hot music
Duke I’m not losin, you need to stop foolin
I know the game very well boy I’m not stupid
Sharp and smart movement, applyin a heart to it
Came here to get the ghetto blocks movin
(if you invited me)
And after rockin in the porch and backyards movin
Keep it crackin cuz I love the way that y’all do it

[Hook: Mos Def and singer]
You got to (give it to me)
You need to (give it to me)
You better (give it to me)
(give it to me) ha, brown sugar
Leave the ground shook up
Observe the way how we make it sound hit up
Like you got to (give it to me)
You need to (give it to me)
You got to (give it to me)
(give it to me) Brown Sugar
Lick your lips to it (huh)
Work your hips to it (yeah)
And steady rockin like this to it like

damn baby, damn baby, damn baby, damn
ooh ahh, ooh ahh ooh ahh
ooh ahh, ooh ahh ooh ahh
damn baby, damn baby, damn baby, damn baby
ooh ahh, ooh ahh ooh ahh
ooh ahh, ooh ahh ooh ahh
damn baby, damn baby, damn baby, damn baby
ooh ahh, ooh ahh ooh ahh
ooh ahh, ooh ahh ooh ahh
damn baby, damn baby, damn baby, damn baby
if you invited me
if you invited me