[00:20.77]Mind state of a gangster from the 40's,
[00:22.30]meets the business mind of motown's Berry Gordy,
[00:25.77]turned crack rock into a chain of 40/40's,
[00:27.41]sorry my jewerly is so gaudy, slid into the party with my new pair of Mauri's,
[00:32.85]America, meet the gangster Shawn Corey, hey young world,
[00:36.53]wanna hear a story,
[00:38.25]close your eyes and you can pretend you're me,
[00:40.69]I'm cut from the cloth of the Kennedys, Frank Sinatra havin' dinner with the Genovese',
[00:45.18]the is the genesis of a nemisis,
[00:48.52]mother America not witnessed since,
[00:51.25]the harlem renaissance birthed black businessman,
[00:52.72]this is the tale of lost innocence,
[00:56.73]and the incense burns and the turntables turn,
[00:59.69]and that Al Green plays,
[01:02.11]I see my mothers afro, as mama taps her toes,
[01:04.52]as she rolls her j's,
[01:07.16]and my papa just left the house,
[01:08.57]in search of a killer of my uncle Ray, and she's trying to calm her nerves,
[01:13.45]as i observe this is just one day,
[01:17.28]and what tomorrow has in store,
[01:18.61]we can never be sure, so all we can do is... pray
[01:32.61]As i head to my home-room,
[01:33.73]I observe the ruins, dope needles on the ground,
[01:37.65]i hear a car go vroom,
[01:39.09]drug dealer in the bm with the top down,
[01:41.91]as the girls start to giggle,
[01:44.09]i ask why you laugh??
[01:45.35]they say you're to little,
[01:47.84]one day you'll understand,
[01:48.51]when you become a man,
[01:50.57]'bout things you have to get you,
[01:52.27]fast forward freeze frame,
[01:53.06]on my pistol fistful of dollars,
[01:55.00]ignorance is so blessful,
[01:56.96]I ain't choose this life,
[01:58.31]this life chose me,
[01:59.66]around here it's the sh*t,
[02:01.02]that you just do,
[02:02.50]i just left school, the same bm is pulled over,
[02:05.56]by the boys dressed in blue,
[02:07.43]they had their guns drawn,
[02:08.45]screaming "just move",
[02:09.57]or is there something else you suggest we can do?,
[02:12.09]he made his way to the drunk,
[02:13.91]opened it like "huh", a treasure chest was removed,
[02:17.67]cops said he'll be back next month,
[02:19.67]what we call curpt, he call's payin' dues,
[02:23.45]now when rules is blurred, as they were,
[02:25.89]what am i to do but ....pray.
[02:28.52]pray the lord forgives me,
[02:29.91]pray he guides me for what i'm 'bout to go through.... pray
[02:33.59]anywhere there's oppression,
[02:44.04]the drug profession, flourishes like beverages,
[02:47.37]refreshing, sweet taste of sin,
[02:50.23]everything i seen made me everything i am,
[02:52.74]bad drug dealer or victim, i beg,
[02:55.23]what came first, moving the chickens or the egg?,
[02:58.59]this is why i be so fresh,
[03:00.20]i'm trying to beat life, 'cause i can't cheat death,
[03:03.27]treat shame like shamelessness, aim,
[03:05.82]stainless at anuses,
[03:06.65]you know the game this is,
[03:09.69]move coke like pepsi, don't matter what brand name it is,
[03:14.01]i stand behind mine, everything i do i'm a man behind mine,
[03:17.96]I'm not an angel, I'm sure,
[03:20.64]but every night before i lay, I drop my knees to the floor,
[03:23.19]and I pray.