ITAL (Roses)

## Song by Lupe Fiasco

"**ITAL (Roses)**" is a song by Lupe Fiasco, released as the third track from his album *Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1* (2012). The accompanying music video was uploaded to YouTube on July 4, 2013, as "#1234". It was directed by Alex Nazari and combined into a trilogy with "Lamborghini Angels" and "Audubon Ballroom".

## Critical reception

*Billboard* wrote in their track-by-track review, "Lupe opens "Ital" speaking to the children directly, continuing a career-long crusade and advising them against the influence of rap videos. The second verse is for the adults who are raising these children, and the third is more or less for whoever is still listening to the song." *Pitchfork* criticized, "The moral of "Ital (Roses)" is a sound one (don't buy what you can't afford), but Lupe can't get the point across with sounding didactic. "It's called being fiscally responsible," goes one especially difficult-to-swallow line."

## Credits and personnel

* Brian Gardner – masterer
* Charles "Free Chilly" Patton – executive producer
* Christopher "Brody" Brown – producer, programmer
* Darrale Jones – producer
* Jason Speck – recording
* Joe Peluso – recording engineer
* Larrance Dopson – writer, producer, programmer
* Simon "Simon Sayz" Morel – recording
* Trevor Astey – guitar
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – vocals, writer, executive producer

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

*"Black panther, black panther, what do you see?*

*I see a dreaming child watching over me!"*

Back, n\*\*\*a, yeah, hey

Can we get a little break

From the cocaine and the kilos?

Aiight n\*\*\*a, we know

Aiight n\*\*\*a, we know

Can we get a break

From the strippers on the p-ole?

Aiight n\*\*\*a, we know

Okay n\*\*\*a, we know

[Verse 1]

Hey shawty, ain't no future in no gang bang

And ain't no manhood in no bang bang

Ain't no honor cleaning interstates inside a chain gang

Know some rap n\*\*\*as put that shit inside your mainframe

Pills make you stupid and liquor do the same thing

'Raris too expensive and they way too hard to maintain

Get yourself a Camry, "n\*\*\*a said a Camry?"

Watch that hoe depreciate and then you'll understand me

It's called being fiscally responsible

Don't let these lying images up in hip-hop here conquer you

The TV's not your father, fool, that video's not your mama

Try your best to be a man and your worst to be a monster

[Hook]

May we have some roses for the ladies

A little appreciation for the gentlemen

And here's some kisses for the babies

Some peace, humanity for the whole wide-wide-wide world

More patience to the youth then, sympathy for the poor

Empathy for the old, more justice for the downpressed

Treat no liar, ital, iyah

[Verse 2]

I know you're sayin', “Lupe rappin' ‘bout the same shit”

Well, that's ‘cause ain't shit changed, bitch

And please don't excuse my language

Cause I would hate for you to misrepresent

The true expression of my anguish

And by this far I ain't shocked, upset, or appalled

I'm ashamed, bitch

I can't listen if you ain't sayin' shit

And recognize all this emptiness is dangerous

Ain't buildin' up they confidence, we teachin' ‘em that they ain't shit

If they ain't got the latest that they saw on someone famous

Mercy of the Lord on this double-edged sword

Instead of askin' where the hoes is

Maybe maybe may we have some roses

[Hook]

May we have some roses for the ladies

A little appreciation for the gentlemen

And here's some kisses for the babies

Some peace, humanity for the whole wide-wide-wide world

More patience to the youth then, sympathy for the poor

Empathy for the old, more justice for the downpressed

Treat no liar, ital, iyah

May we have some roses for the ladies

A little appreciation for the gentlemen

And here's some kisses for the babies

Some peace, humanity for the whole wide-wide-wide world

[Verse 3]

Called the president a terrorist

Corporate sponsors like, how the fuck you gon' embarrass us?

Ain't my fault, I was just repeatin' this

Professor Emeritus from America

But my tone was like an Afghani kid without a home

Blew that bitch up with a drone

An Iraqi with no daddy, Palestinian throwing stones

The fuck you think they call him? I'mma leave that all alone

Cause this, the focus on this new shit is that hopeless

Place that I was born into systematic brokeness

Took that downpression and developed it to dopeness

It's that great American rap-rap ferocious

[Hook]

May we have some roses for the ladies

A little appreciation for the gentlemen

And here's some kisses for the babies

Some peace, humanity for the whole wide-wide-wide world

More patience to the youth then, sympathy for the poor

Empathy for the old, more justice for the downpressed

Treat no liar, ital, iyah

## References

1. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco, 'Food & Liquor II': Track-by-Track Review". *Billboard*. September 25, 2012.
2. ↑ Greene, Jayson (September 27, 2012). "*Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1*". *Pitchfork*.