The song encourages black and brown women to be proud of their hair and complexion, and to not be influenced by Western beauty standards. 'Brown-Skin Lady' is an affectionate tribute to brown-skinned women. ' Children's Story' is a re-imagined version of Slick Rick's original, which features Mos Def cautioning overly materialistic pursuits. The chorus is also a play on Boogie Down Productions' anti-gun song ' Stop the Violence', as well as 'Remix For P Is Free' from their album Criminal Minded.

As the chorus goes, 'One two three/ Mos Def and Talib Kweli/We came to rock it on to the tip top/Best alliance in hip hop, Y-O/I said, one two three/It's kinda dangerous to be a MC/They shot 2Pac and Biggie/Too much violence in hip hop, Y-O'. The next song, and first single, ' Definition', is a stern response to hip hop's fascination with death, and a dedication to slain emcees Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. The late jazz musician Weldon Irvine played the keys on the album's opening song, 'Astronomy,' which interprets the word 'black' in a positive way, and contains similes such as 'Black, like my baby girl's hair'. Mos Def (left) and Talib Kweli (right) in 1999.