[Spoken]
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(To all the youth in the world that thinks nobody understands...
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Well I understand that)
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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I grew up as a 70's baby
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Brought up in poverty and sin
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Makin' jokes at the crazy lady
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Never cared how she was dealin' within
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I knew all the words to
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Micheal Jackson's album as a kid
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And when it came to the biggest crusher
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No he wasn't my man
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At the age of seven years old
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A strange thing happened to me
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Before I even saw
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My life had flashed before me
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And I've got the mark to show
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And it became a thang of beauty
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So I gotta let you know
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That my life, that my life
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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Now mama's workin' hard all day
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And she said this before she left home
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Take care of your little brother
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Have the place cleaned when I get home
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All these priorities
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Me and Tanya had to learn to be grown
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But at the time for me
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Being grown had seemed so lone
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Woke up and I'm seventeen
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With nothing going for me
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Except the fact that I sing
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You know it hurts so much
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From all the sights that I've seen
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From abusin' the hole in trust
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You probably couldn't take some of things
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That I've lived in my life
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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It's hard and the street's a jungle (I'm telling you, I'm telling you)
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Especially with your pretty colors (I'm telling you, I'm telling you)
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So stay low and keep it humble (I'm telling you, I'm telling you)
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Black women hold it down, keep your feet on the ground
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Black men keep searching and you'll be found
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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[Rap by Eve]
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In this world of continuous bullshit and full clips
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Seems all we have to pass down is being useless
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Broken homes, babies all alone, parent's never there
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No food, no clothes to wear, anger everywhere
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Ain't no values being taught, no productive thoughts
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Jealousy rules the world, take shit at any cost
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Gotta change our state of life, keep it worth livin'
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God gave us voices to speak and that's our way of givin'
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It's so much bigger than the furs and the jewels
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What about encouragin' the youth to do well
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What about givin' back- what about unifying
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Shit we all black- get it together
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Everybody's got their trials and tribulations
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Learn to change the negative to positive situations
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Don't hold the lessons that you learn
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Pass it on and except the blessings that could earn
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It's been hard for me
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Trying strugglin' in the streets
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But where I've been- Is no longer where I'm at
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And where I'm going- Is not where I'm stoppin' at
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-----------------
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Where I've Been
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| Mary J. Blige |
