I spit it for my block, it's an ode I admit it
|
here the city cold as lock and load
|
any minute it's rock and roll
|
and then you rock and roll
|
and feel your soul leavin'
|
it's just the wrong glance that'll leave you not breathin'
|
I'm not particularly proud of this predicament but,
|
I'm born and bred in this tenement I'm sentimental what,
|
plus it's only right to represent my hood and whatnot
|
so I'm about to do it in the music and the movies cut,
|
to the chase pan across to the face I'm right there
|
freeze-frame on the street name, oops wait a minute
|
this is where the streets have no and the drain of sewage,
|
you can see it in this boy how the hate is brewin'
|
'cause when his tummy tucks in fuck the pain is fluid
|
so what difference does it make entertaining through it?
|
some get high mixin' coke and gun powder sniffin'
|
she got a gun but coulda been a model or physician
|
|
[chorus:]
|
so what you know about the pirates who terrorize the ocean?
|
to never know a simple day without a big commotion?
|
It can't be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion
|
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closin'
|
|
Yeah, yeah we used to take barbed wire
|
mold em around discarded bike tires
|
and race 'em down the hill on foot blazin'
|
now that was our version of mountain-bike racin'
|
daaamn . . . do you see why it's amazin'?
|
when someone comes out of such a dire situation
|
and learns the English language as to share his observation
|
probably get a grammy without a grammar education
|
so fuck you school and fuck you immigration
|
and all you who thought I wouldn't amount to constipation
|
and now I'm here without the slightest fear or reservation
|
they love me in the slums and their native reservations
|
the world is a ghetto administerin' deprivation.
|
But mommy didn't raise no fool, did she hoyo?
|
I promised I would get it and remain strictly loyal,
|
'cause when they get it they let it all switch and spoil,
|
but I just illuminated it like kitchen foil.
|
A lot of mainstream niggas is yappin' about yappin'
|
A lot of underground niggas is rappin' about rappin'
|
I just wanna tell you what's really crack-a-lackin'
|
before the tears came down this is where it happened
|
|
[chorus]
|
|
-----------------
|
Somalia
|
| K'naan |
