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(Poppa Wu) I'm a manchild born in the promised land |
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Captain of my destiny, guidin my faith through the turbulence of life |
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See, in order to be who you are, you've got to know who you are |
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In order to get to where you want to go |
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You've got to know from where you came |
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Say, it was Malcolm X who said |
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"A man who doesn't have nothing to stand up for |
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Will fall for any god damn thing!" |
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(Shyheim) Damn, Woke up again... |
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Down my face drop tears, it's like nobody cares |
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I swear, life ain't fair, sometimes I wanna disappear |
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Only Blahzay Blah', I got mad gray hairs, I'm a young old man |
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What part of "Shit Iz Real" don't you understand? |
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Twin got murdered, caught one to the temple |
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You ain't been what I been through, Can It Be All So Simple? |
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I got bad nerves, it's absurd, I'm disturbed |
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So, I suggest you watch the words that you blurb |
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Out your mouth, or it'll be a shoot out |
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I leave you stretched out, I'm thugged, inside and out |
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And it ain't by choice |
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I'm screaming out loud for love (AHHHH!) |
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Do anybody hear my voice? |
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Pardon the noise, I'm just a black ghetto boy |
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Went through the rain and pain, where's the sunshine and joy? |
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I can't seem to find it, trapped in the black cloud |
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Watching my life go down, to hide the suffering, I smile |
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(Tekitha)Running these streets can be so |
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Trying these trying times |
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Manchild in the promised land |
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Who of you will understand? |
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Running these streets can be so |
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Trying these trying times |
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Manchild in the promised land, hey-ay... |
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(Shyheim)My aunt died from AIDS, I watched her deteriorate |
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She told me fucking wit drugs, was her biggest mistake |
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Put my moms on to it, sticking needles in her veins |
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Being sons of addicts, yo, me and Cane the same |
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We packed bags at Pathmark, we both humped Tamika |
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We used to go to the pool, just to steal kid's sneakers |
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Rocked cut-off beepers, wore old clothes for Easter |
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Shit was so real, we had to split a slice of pizza |
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I was born at six months, damn, premature |
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My moms birthed a thug like, Afeni Shakur |
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I'm surprised I ain't crazy, from the bug shit I saw |
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I caught my mother buying crack on the first floor, before |
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I never thought I'd be in a cell, smoking the Newport |
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With all sorts of thoughts, running through my mind |
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Know I ain't leaving, caught, D.A. talkin jail time |
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I glanced at my mom's eyes, she looking like she wanna cry |
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(Tekitha) Running these streets can be so |
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Trying these trying times |
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Manchild in the promised land |
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Who of you will understand? |
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Running these streets can be so |
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Trying these trying times |
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Manchild in the promised land, hey-ay... |
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(Shyheim)They say I'm an accident waiting to happen, G |
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Miss Ann from the first floor said she gon' pray for me |
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She had a bad dream, that they, murdered me |
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I said, "Miss, truthfully, I don't believe in dreams" |
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Hope is miles away, from where I stay |
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Who knows the way? Pssshhh... shit, I'd pay |
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For the directions? My whole family's in correction |
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Fake friends half-stepping, I'm stressing, answer question |
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Can I trust you? Uh-huh, then I love you |
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Yea, if not, straight up and down, fuck you |
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Bottom line, real people do real things |
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Play your position... (running these streets can be so...) |
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You see, its like this |
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You've got to plan your work and work your plan |
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Cause seeing who fails the plan, plans the fail |
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Execute your strategy and seize your goal |
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Cause see, persistence overcomes, resistance, peace |
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Trying these trying times |
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Manchild in the promised land, hey-ay... |
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Running these streets can be so |
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Trying these trying times |
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Manchild in the promised land |
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Who of you will understand? |
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(fades...) |