World Runners

## Promotional single by Ab-Soul featuring Lupe Fiasco and Nikki Jean

"**World Runners**" is a song by Ab-Soul, released as a promotional single and the fifth track from his album *These Days...* on June 17, 2014. It features Lupe Fiasco and Nikki Jean and samples Pharrell Williams' "That Girl".

Soul mentioned in an interview, "What actually happened with Lupe, to be perfectly honest with you, was I met him in Chicago on a tour with Kendrick, initially, and then we met again in L.A. Eventually, we connected at the studio and he was like, "We got to do three records—we need to rap on one song, we need a concept song, and we need a top 40," so that's what we did. And I guess that you will hear those soon. I know he put "Thorns & Horns" out, "World Runners" is out and I'm going to be on his [upcoming] album as well, so that will be the third one, but I don't want to talk about that one yet."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

These days I'm so focused

Fast life, slow motion

These, these days I'm so focused

These days I'm so focused

Fast life, slow motion

[Chorus: Ab Soul, Nikki Jean]

Or maybe I'm just a dreamer

And life is but a dream

And I would never leave her

But I bet she can't wait to get rid of me

And I be all night, no sleep, real talk

Go hard until the AM

You can have my shine, I give you my light

Opportunities you take them

And you can take your time on your own time

I be at the finish line waiting

Cause some people chase the world

Other people let the world chase them, yo

[Bridge: Ab Soul]

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

[Verse 1: Ab-Soul]

Yeah, can you hear it?

I spread love, can you feel it in your spirit?

When doves cry shit get serious

You feel like a prince in a pharaoh's pyramid

Scheme turned dream turned nightmare on Elm Street

Ye ain't got your heart in the right place

How the hell you plan to stay on beat, on beat?

Yeah, I put that on me

I got a gun and a good book, leave all your homies holy, moly

Black sheep, no miss Bo Peep

Motherfuck police ‘til they release all of my OG's

You could lean on me ‘til you Morgan Free

You don't need no sleep

[Chorus: Ab Soul, Nikki Jean]

Or maybe I'm just a dreamer

And life is but a dream

And I would never leave her

But I bet she can't wait to get rid of me

And I be all night, no sleep, real talk

Go hard until the AM

You can have my shine, I give you my light

Opportunities you take them

And you can take your time on your own time

I be at the finish line waiting

Cause some people chase the world

Other people let the world chase them, yo

[Bridge: Ab Soul]

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

Can't spell Illuminati without Lu, can't spell Lu without “u”

Can't spill blood without blue

Now ask yourself, "What is what I do?"

Let you put that together without glue without screw, fast life

Built a time machine in my past life

A horror story about as long as Fukushima half-life

And mostly I'll be ghost

And to talk about it have to rhyme into a flashlight

Now that's a long way from blackface

Track that they using for your rat race

Connected to a cat face, you can ask them pussies how a lap taste

Maybe like cookies to a monster

Running miles to the mouths of meows coming out

(High plane try not to be bomber)

[Interlude: Nikki Jean]

Full speed ahead, full speed ahead

To allow no limits, there are no limits

No limits allowed, no limits exist

Cause maybe, cause maybe

There are no limits

[Chorus: Ab Soul, Nikki Jean]

Or maybe I'm just a dreamer

And life is but a dream

And I would never leave her

But I bet she can't wait to get rid of me

And I be all night, no sleep, real talk

Go hard until the AM

You can have my shine, I give you my light

Opportunities you take them

And you can take your time on your own time

I be at the finish line waiting

Cause some people chase the world

Other people let the world chase them, yo

[Bridge: Ab Soul]

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run the world (Yeah)

We run, we run, we run this world (Yeah)

[Outro: Ab-Soul]

Go, go, uh

Yeah, no roof on the jeep with a big old chain

N\*\*\*as left for the sniff and came back for the base

You could tell he was tripping by the look on his face

No new jacks in my city

Aye, I'm feeling like G money, money, money

Yeah, uh, I'm feeling like G money, money, money

Yeah, no new jacks in my city

Bitch, I'm G money, money, money

## References

1. ↑ Frydenlund, Zach (June 17, 2014). "Listen to Ab-Soul's "World Runners" f/ Lupe Fiasco and Nikki Jean". *Complex*.
2. ↑ Weekes, Jabbari (July 10, 2014). "Ab-Soul on His Path". *Exclaim!* Archived from the original on July 13, 2014.