| Intro: Nardo Ranks
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| Now this one is a special dedication, to all a di man inna Rikers Island
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| Cocoa Tea and Nardo Rankin mon, now Cocoa Tea, come sing out!!!
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| Verse 1: Cocoa Tea
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| Di first time di yute come a New York
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| Dem tellin yute, you mustn’t skylark
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| Learn a trade or go to school
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| And don’t you turn yourself inna fool
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| Chorus: Cocoa Tea
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| But now him gone a Rikers Island
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| Him neva waan go a Rikers Island
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| Verse 2: Nardo Ranks
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| (Come come now!!!)
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| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Nuff man enter Rikers Island now for di first time
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| Man a, look pon dem sneakers now and, seh dat a mine
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| And a bwoy round a back and dem a watch yuh behind
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| But if a bwoy try a ting yuh know him a go get blind
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| And di, man dem mean, rasta know dem nuh kind
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| Mi talkin to di yute dem know dem nuh kind
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| Go look a nine to five and everything will be fine
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| Dat’s why mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Yuh hear! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| (Come come now!!!)
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| Chorus: Cocoa Tea
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| Now him gone a Rikers Island
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| Him neva waan go a Rikers Island
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| But now him gone a Rikers Island
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| Verse 3: Nardo Ranks
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| And di first place yuh go a mi seh a di precint
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| And likkle after dat yuh gone a central booking
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| And a dat’s where dem do all a di finger printin
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| Interrogatting and di picture takin
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| As yuh, go through gate yuh look up in di ceiling
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| And right deh so now yuh get all di bad feeling
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| Now yuh start to bawl and yuh start di crying
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| And a likkle after dat yuh know a pure sufferinn
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| (Come come now)
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| Chorus: Cocoa Tea
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| Now him gone a Rikers Island
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| Him neva waan go a Rikers Island
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| But now him gone a Rikers Island (Ummm hmmm, whoa!!!)
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| (Nardo Ranks: Come come now!!!)
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| Verse 4: Cocoa Tea
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| Him use to chuck it from Brooklyn to Bronx
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| And a gwaan like a big top ranks
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| But now a foreign government response
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| Chorus: Cocoa Tea
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| Now him gone a Rikers Island
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| Him neva waan go a Rikers Island
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| Verse 5: Nardo Ranks
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| Queens man dem deh a Rikers Island
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| And di Brooklyn man dem deh a Rikers Island
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| And di, Bronx man dem deh a Rikers Island
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| And di, Manhattan man dem deh a Rikers Island
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| Now won’t yuh, listen mi good now and undastand
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| Cau tell dem Mr. Nardo nah fight 'against no one
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| But there’s a mixed multitude deh inna Rikers Island
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| Bo!!! |
| Big up di yute dem inna cell block one
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| And a C21 now yuh must undastand
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| And di HDM man dem now come sing along
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| Yuh have di Puerto Rican and di, Jamaican
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| And di Barbajan and di Columbian
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| But mi really nah fi get now di, American
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| Dat’s why mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Yuh hear! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| (Come come now!!!)
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| Verse 6: Cocoa Tea
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| Di first time di youth come a New York
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| Dem use to tell dem yuh don’t skylark
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| Learn di trade or go to school
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| And don’t you make no one take you for fool
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| But now him gone a Rikers Island, yes him gone a Rikers Island
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| Him use to chuck it from Brooklyn to Bronx
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| And a gwaan like di most top ranks
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| But now a foreign government response
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| Yes him gone a Rikers Island
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| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Yuh hear! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| Come now! |
| Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island
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| 'cause di first place yuh go a mi seh a di Precinct
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| And likkle after dat yuh gone a Central Booking
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| And a dat’s where dem do all a di finger printin'
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| Di interrogatin' and di picture takin'
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| As yuh go through gate yuh look up in di ceiling
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| And a' right away yuh get all a' di bad feelin'
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| And a' so yuh really know seh yuh life is flashin'
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| And a' so mi know seh yuh sentence begin |