[Kids]
 I know I can (I know I can) 
 Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be) 
 If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
 I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

[Nas]
 Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up 
 You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
 An architect, doctor, maybe an actress 
 But nothing comes easy it takes much practice
 Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
 She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
 Singing songs, Lina Horn, but the younger version
 Hung with the wrong person
 Got her strung on that
 Heroin, cocaine, sniffin up drugs all in her nose...
 Coulda died, so young, now looks ugly and old
 No fun cause now when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath
 Cause she smells of corrosion and death 
 Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
 Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
 So if you gonna be the best, I'ma tell you how,
 Put your hands in the air, and take a vow

[Chorus - 2x (Nas and Kids)]
 I know I can (I know I can) 
 Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be) 
 If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
 I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

[Nas]
 Be, B-Boys and girls, listen again
 This is for grown looking girls who's only ten
 The ones who watch videos and do what they see
 As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID
 Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV
 You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey 
 Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be
 Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be 
 Older than you are, give yourself time to grow
 You thinking he can give you wealth, but so
 Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know
 You thinkin life's all about smokin weed and ice
 You don't wanna be my age and can't read and write
 Begging different women for a place to sleep at night
 Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish
 If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this

[Chorus]

[Nas]
 Be, be, 'fore we came to this country 
 We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys
 There was empires in Africa called Kush 
 Timbuktu, where every race came to get books
 To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans
 Asian Arabs and gave them gold when 
 Gold was converted to money it all changed 
 Money then became empowerment for Europeans
 The Persian military invaded 
 They heard about the gold, the teachings, and everything sacred
 Africa was almost robbed naked
 Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships 
 Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went 
 He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces
 Shot up they nose to impose what basically 
 Still goes on today, you see? 
 If the truth is told, the youth can grow 
 Then learn to survive until they gain control
 Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes
 Read more learn more, change the globe
 Ghetto children, do your thing
 Hold your head up, little man, you're a king
 Young Princess when you get your wedding ring
 Your man is saying "She's my queen"

[Chorus]

 Save the music y'all, save the music y'all
 Save the music y'all, save the music y'all
 Save the music