Slam - "Sha-Clack-Clack" by Ray aka Saul Williams

[applause]

Saul Williams: If I could find the spot
where truth echoes,

I would stand there and whisper
memories of my children's future.

I would let their future dwell in my past
so that I might live a brighter now.

Now is the essence of my domain
and it contains all that was and will be,

and I am as I was and will be
because I am and always will be

that nigga.
I am that nigga. I am that nigga.

I am that timeless nigga that swings
on pendelums like vines.

Through mines of booby trapped minds
that are enslaved by time.

I am the life that supersedes lifetimes,
I am.

It was me with serpentine hair
and a timeless stare.

That with immortal glare turned
mortal fear into stone time capsules.

They still exist as the walking dead,
as I do.

The original sufferhead,
symbol of life and matriarchy.

Severed head Medusa, I am.

I am that nigga. I am that nigga!
I am that nigga!!

I am a negro! Yes negro,
negro from _necro_ meaning death.

I overcame it so they named me after it.
And I be spitting at death from behind,

and putting "Kick Me" signs on it's back,
because I am not the son of Sha-Clack-Clack.

I am before that. I am before.
I am before before.

Before death is eternity.
After death is eternity.

There is no death, there's only eternity,
and I be riding on the wings of eternity.

Like HYAH! HYAH! HYAH! Sha-Clack-Clack
but my flight doesn't go undisturbed,

because time makes dreams defer
and all of my time fears are turning

my days into daymares.
And I live daymares reliving nightmares

of what taunted my past.
Sha-Clack-Clack, time is beatin my ass.

And I be havin dreams of chocolate
covered watermelons,

filled with fried chickens like pinatas
with little pickaninny sons and daughters

standing up under them with big
sticks and aluminum foil,

hittin em, tryin to catch pieces
of fallin fried chicken wings.

And Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben
are standing in the corners

with rifles pointed at the heads
of the little children.

"Don't shoot the children," I shout,
"don't shoot the children!"

But they say it's too late.
They've already been infected by time.

But that shit is before my time.
I need more time.

I need more time.
But it's too late.

They start shooting at children
and killing them!.

One by one, two by two, three by
three, four by four.

Five by five, six by six, but
my spirit is growing seven by seven,

faster than the speed of light
because light only penetrates the darkness

that's already there, and I'm already there.
I'm here at the end of the road,

which is the beginning of the road
beyond time,

but where my niggas at?
(Oh shit!)

Oh shit, don't tell me my niggas
got lost in time.

My niggas are dying before their time.
My niggas are serving unjust time.

My niggas are dying because of.. time.

[applause]