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Listen to Testify by Common

Testify

Common

Hip-Hop/Rap

127,867

Apple Music Note

OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

Concerts Nearby

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Aug
10
Aug 10, 2025
Multiple Intelligence Training Center
San Jose

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Featured In

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Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS

Common

Vocals

Honey Cone

Sampled Artist

COMPOSITION & LYRICS

Kanye West

Songwriter

Lonnie Lynn

Songwriter

Angelo Bond

Songwriter

General Johnson

General Johnson

Songwriter

Greg Perry

Songwriter

PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING

Common

Executive Producer

Kanye West

Producer

Taylor Dow

Assistant Recording Engineer

Manny Marroquin

Manny Marroquin

Mixing Engineer

Jared Robbins

Assistant Mixing Engineer

Andrew Dawson

Recording Engineer

Derek Dudley

Executive Producer

Ric McRae

Assistant Recording Engineer

Tom Coyne

Mastering Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

She walked in the court, her knees buckle

Saying for a man to survive, he needn't hustle

Seen and been through struggle her whole life

Made a transition from being his ho to his wife

Stifling, the night upend the ATF bust in

Her daddy was a hustla, so she loved him

Looked at the jury, how can they judge him?

She screamed

[Chorus]

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Yeah

Before you lock my love away

Please, let me testify

[Verse 2]

Fear in her chest, her face with tears

Had her man's back, he was facing years

In her name, though the place was his

They tryna take everything except the kids

For years she been through scuffle and fights

While he tryna hustle that white

Up all night wondering if he's alive

Seeing him tried she bubbled inside and screamed

[Chorus]

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Yeah

Before you lock my love away

Yeah

Before you lock my love away

Please, let me testify

[Verse 3]

The judge yelled for order, court reporter making her words shorter

His lawyer sat next to him

She could see how the trial was affecting him

It hurt for her eyes to connect with him

Using her lies for protecting him

They arrested him for murder and gun possession

As they read back her confession, she screamed

[Chorus]

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Please, let me testify

[Verse 4]

The court awaited as the foreman got the verdict from the bailiff

Emotional outbursts, tears and smeared makeup

They stated he was guilty on all charges

She's shaking, looking like she took it the hardest

A spin artist, she brought her face up laughing

That's when the prosecutor realized what happened

All that speaking her mind, testifying and crying

When this bitch did the crime, the queenpin

[Chorus]

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Before you lock my love away

Please, let me testify

[Outro]

You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a, you accu—

Please, let me testify

You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a, you accu—

Please, let me testify

You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a, you accu—

Please let me testify

You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a—

Written by: Angelo Bond, General Johnson, Gregory S. Perry, Kanye West, Lonnie Lynn

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