Me No Like Rikers Island - Cocoa Tea, Nardo Ranks

Intro: Nardo Ranks

Now this one is a special dedication, to all a di man inna Rikers Island

Cocoa Tea and Nardo Rankin mon, now Cocoa Tea, come sing out!!!

Verse 1: Cocoa Tea

Di first time di yute come a New York

Dem tellin yute, you mustn’t skylark

Learn a trade or go to school

And don’t you turn yourself inna fool

Chorus: Cocoa Tea

But now him gone a Rikers Island

Him neva waan go a Rikers Island

Verse 2: Nardo Ranks

(Come come now!!!)

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Nuff man enter Rikers Island now for di first time

Man a, look pon dem sneakers now and, seh dat a mine

And a bwoy round a back and dem a watch yuh behind

But if a bwoy try a ting yuh know him a go get blind

And di, man dem mean, rasta know dem nuh kind

Mi talkin to di yute dem know dem nuh kind

Go look a nine to five and everything will be fine

Dat’s why mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Yuh hear!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

(Come come now!!!)

Chorus: Cocoa Tea

Now him gone a Rikers Island

Him neva waan go a Rikers Island

But now him gone a Rikers Island

Verse 3: Nardo Ranks

And di first place yuh go a mi seh a di precint

And likkle after dat yuh gone a central booking

And a dat’s where dem do all a di finger printin

Interrogatting and di picture takin

As yuh, go through gate yuh look up in di ceiling

And right deh so now yuh get all di bad feeling

Now yuh start to bawl and yuh start di crying

And a likkle after dat yuh know a pure sufferinn

(Come come now)

Chorus: Cocoa Tea

Now him gone a Rikers Island

Him neva waan go a Rikers Island

But now him gone a Rikers Island (Ummm hmmm, whoa!!!)

(Nardo Ranks: Come come now!!!)

Verse 4: Cocoa Tea

Him use to chuck it from Brooklyn to Bronx

And a gwaan like a big top ranks

But now a foreign government response

Chorus: Cocoa Tea

Now him gone a Rikers Island

Him neva waan go a Rikers Island

Verse 5: Nardo Ranks

Queens man dem deh a Rikers Island

And di Brooklyn man dem deh a Rikers Island

And di, Bronx man dem deh a Rikers Island

And di, Manhattan man dem deh a Rikers Island

Now won’t yuh, listen mi good now and undastand

Cau tell dem Mr. Nardo nah fight 'against no one

But there’s a mixed multitude deh inna Rikers Island

Bo!!!

Big up di yute dem inna cell block one

And a C21 now yuh must undastand

And di HDM man dem now come sing along

Yuh have di Puerto Rican and di, Jamaican

And di Barbajan and di Columbian

But mi really nah fi get now di, American

Dat’s why mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Yuh hear!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

(Come come now!!!)

Verse 6: Cocoa Tea

Di first time di youth come a New York

Dem use to tell dem yuh don’t skylark

Learn di trade or go to school

And don’t you make no one take you for fool

But now him gone a Rikers Island, yes him gone a Rikers Island

Him use to chuck it from Brooklyn to Bronx

And a gwaan like di most top ranks

But now a foreign government response

Yes him gone a Rikers Island

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Yuh hear!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

Come now!

Mi mi mi nuh nuh like Rikers Island

'cause di first place yuh go a mi seh a di Precinct

And likkle after dat yuh gone a Central Booking

And a dat’s where dem do all a di finger printin'

Di interrogatin' and di picture takin'

As yuh go through gate yuh look up in di ceiling

And a' right away yuh get all a' di bad feelin'

And a' so yuh really know seh yuh life is flashin'

And a' so mi know seh yuh sentence begin