excerpt from Ballad of the Black Gold by Talib Kweli
Nigeria is celebrating 50 years of independence
They still feel the colonial effects of Great Britain’s presence
Dictators quick to imitate the West
Got in bed with oil companies and now the place is a mess
Take a guess, which ones came and violated
They oiled up the soil, the Ogoni people was almost annihilated
But still they never stayed silent
They was activists and poets using non-violent tactics
That was catalyst for soldiers to break into they crib
Take it from the kids and try to break’em like a twig
And make examples of the leaders; executed Saro-Wiwa,
Threw Fela’s mom out the window right after they beat her
In an effort to defeat hope. Now the people’s feet soaked in oil
So the youth is doing drive-bys through speed boats
They kidnap the workers, they blowing up the pipelines
You see the fires glowing in the nighttime