I'm straight out the Bronx's heavy streets and I love it man
The blocks are so hot my side walks have a son tan
Even though people out hustling crack weed and dro
I stay out of trouble and I keep my profile low
Keep my grades high I stay in school now I'm in the 12th grade
I know my Greek alphabet and study hard in many ways
Unfortunately I'm black and cops treat me as if I'm selling crack
Searching my pants for a gat asking me what is in my ass crack
But I live above that still proud of being black
Still every time I'm outside I have to watch how I act
Isn't that crazy these cops in the Bronx amaze me
They want to beat me with night sticks harass me and taze me
That's why most of my friends are in jail some are have died

Tell me how some dudes started shooting all over my block
They were in a red car with a shot gun and a glock
Then they fled away no cops chasing or car crashing
I walk out a building cops start harassing and get arrested for trust passing
The cop took my ID had me standing there like a bum
Then he began to search me and asked do you have a gun
A knife or anything any weed or crack
Matter a fact were the drugs at don't give me any crap
I said I don't know officer I don't deal with drugs
Knowing damn well I'm just not trying to tell on the thugs
Who were drinking and driving hustling and doing crimes
While this cop is asking me the same questions several times
Then he took me to the present to wait and see what was giving

In my life I’ve been through ups and downs
Fist fights arguments and watched people shoot all around
I have seen people sniff coke sell crack end up broke
Rob people just to get drunk and have weed to smoke
In my life I met a lot of friend not nice
In fact they would stab my back with a knife
And sell their soul to the devil for any little price
Get high then go home and beat up on their wife
It's wrong in my life people told me I wont live long
But for that I keep it going and make sure I’m strong
That means staying focus so there’s not a class I fail
Keep my black and proud self from going to jail
In my life I changed my ways stop smoking green and haze
Now I’m getting a pay check every 7 days
You would be amazed

Some rich are a disgrace
They only care about the name of the bank "Chase"
They don't even care about the kids with the flies on their face
Rich people like 50 Cent leaves his community misplaced
And Pataki don't even care about my race
George Bush only cares about oil and doesn't have a trace where the country is going
And can't even keep us safe
The war with terrorism
That's another case
People keep dying My goodness grace
Some rich people wrote negativites that can't be erased
Rublicans just want homeless people to waste
Money is a person dating that has bad taste
Always gets to ugly people who will be greedy
When they have money
They will never feed the needy
Or care about babies yelling "Feed me! Feed Me!"

How dare you say you love your woman but hit on her
You left a mark on her what does that make you a man?
What if you do it to me will I understand?
That you love me and you wont put nothing above me
You supposedly love her and that’s why you do it
Your not suppose to tell her so is this the right way to proof it?
The harder you hold on to an egg is the quicker you loose it
Because they crack and you can never get it back
To the way it used to be and that’s a known fact
No matter how much you run you can’t get on track
Picture how she running when under her feet there are thumb tacks
When you in her house and don’t pay food rent light phone or tax
Even if you did that don’t give you a right to leave her with slaps

I remember
sitting in the classroom
taking notes and listening to the teacher

all of a sudden
the teacher heres a crash
her face turns red as an apple
and she stands in awe

the class turns around
and is frightened
the twin towers just got hit
by a plane.

All the kids and teachers
running down the stairs
into the auditorium
till parents come and pick their kids up

I realize now
its 6 years ago
that all of this happened

Many heroes fell
for trying so hard
to save others
and many innocent people to

God bless New York City
Rest In Peace
I'll always remember
September 11,2001

Walking down the aisle
while the principal is calling me up
to get my diploma
a white light flashes toward me
as my eyes are burning and tears are falling down my face

Looking back at the memories
of me and my dad
watching a screen of people
fighting in a war
and the channel gets changed

I go up onto the stage
and I get my diploma
with a smile on my face
realizing he's watching me
from a place
that has clouds and angels
and everything is perfect

Knowing one day
I'll be there too

It would be nice to see that smiling face. The one that comes with someone that loves me. I haven't seen too many lately. I remember every last one. It's like I catalog them in my head. The look before they go away. The last time I saw each of them sleeping in my bed. I knew each time, strange isn't it. Should I have taken a picture, put it in a scrapbook of the dearly departed. Each gone, flying underneath the radar. They have become strangers somehow. I hold those things sexual and intimate close to my heart. They mean the world to me. It's how you hook me in. Unless I separate myself from it emotionally and just do it for the enjoyment of making another feel that good. It's not about me, it's not even about the moment. It's about them. But let me not go any further into that.