Handcuffs

## Song by Lupe Fiasco

"**Handcuffs**" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released as the eighth track from his mixtape, *Fahrenheit 1/15 Part II: Revenge of the Nerds* (2005). Sampling the 2004 song, "Only U" by Ashanti, "Handcuffs" details corrupt police officers and flaws within the justice systems, where those in authority can abuse their power.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: Police Officer]

Okay, kid

Say what you gotta say

[Intro: Lupe Fiasco]

You know what I'm sayin'

You know, some n\*\*\*as really out there bad

You know what I'm sayin'

Some n\*\*\*as is forced in positions where they gotta do things where they don't wanna do it

You know what I'm sayin'

So some n\*\*\*as forced to dope, sell dope

Some n\*\*\*as forced to pimp

You know what I'm sayin'

But you got some n\*\*\*as out there that

Just lazy, you know what I'm sayin'

N\*\*\*as ain't forced to do nothin'

N\*\*\*as got other options they just choose not to do 'em, you know?

[Verse 1]

Sittin' in the back of the police car position

Your mission is forgetting and denying the existence

Thinking of different ways to keep from submitting

And continuing to not to mention

...like that

Grand Marquis Police Interceptor edition

With the wall so you can barely fit in

Knees is touching the front seat, shifting

'Cause your handcuffs is cutting your wrist and

Your wishing that he would drive faster please

But he slows through the hood as he drives past the free

It's cool but you tripping:

The quicker you get there

The quicker you sit there

Cuffed to a bench and

They playing good cop, bad cop

One of the them pretending

So you rewind yourself

To your uneasy recline in the back of the police car

Hand-cuffed and the seat belt

Nah, you ain't gotta quicken the pace

That just give me more time to sit and erase

Alibi and alias, switch and replace

Think about then, forget about an escape

Thank God that I'm up in the states

'Cause if I was in Russia who knows how they'd do a hustler

Wait, I ain't a hustler, I'm straight

I'm damn near a buster, no laws I break

Money I never seen, guns I didn't hold

Drugs I never sold, calls I didn't make

N\*\*\*a this is a waste of your time and mine

"Is that uncomfortable?"...."I'm fine"

A case? This ain't even a fine

You ain't find nothing, homie, not even a dime

Not even a dime that'll drop dime on me

I know you was dying so you put a dime on me

I know that's a crime, you supposed to fight crime for me

Protect and to serve

Prosecute, correct and return to the homies

And that's gonna send them direct to the curb

So you can put 'em back on me

[Hook]

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

[Verse 2]

He's sitting in the front of the police car position

His mission is bending, pinning charges on n\*\*\*as

Even if they didn't

He's sitting in court lying

Testifying against defendants

...Like that

And he love to choke n\*\*\*as

He don't trip with the rich

He just like the broke n\*\*\*as

Probably did more dirt in the street than most n\*\*\*as

Even the old people don't like him

'Cause of the way he approach n\*\*\*as

N\*\*\*a, you ain't no better than me

Just a hustler with a badge

Confiscate the dope money

Put it with your retirement boat money

You ain't building no playgrounds

In the poor for some cash

That ain't a pension

That's a shoe box stash

With a Glock to protect it

We both undercover, check it

Thinking that the good we do

Gon' out weigh the sinning that we do to collect it

Saying "it's for the community"

They don't value us

Only around because the property value up

And they gotta clean the street before they put the houses up

Knock them Section 8's down

Put them 200,000's up

Feel he don't get paid enough

To kick in doors, to raid and cuff

So he use what n\*\*\*as get on the street

To supplement the wages cut

So he gotta keep just enough n\*\*\*as out there hustling

To keep his paper up

...Like that

Maybe he should be in the handcuffs

[Hook]

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs