Born in the Struggle

[Intro: Dr. Cornel West]
And so then the question becomes: How do we try to educate and teach and exemplify in our own lives as older folk to young folk there are other ways of dealing with this? Then there's a large issue of crime. How do we go about fighting crime? And it's towards this preferential treatment between the poor and the rich, end up with prison disproportionate black, brown, working class poor brothers

[Verse 1: E-40]
I had to hand-wash my clothes, didn't have a washing machine or a dryer, UH
Mama used to have to hang her period panties out on a clothesline wire, UH
The vacuum broke, used the broom
We got company coming over this afternoon
You know our family like to gossip
Clean up your room, throw everything in the closet
I like to talk to the old schoolers, O.G. playas
'Cause they was my age - I ain't never been theirs
I count on em for guidance, leadership and advice
'Cause everything I'm goin' through they done been through twice
Or three or four times, five, six, seven, eight
We can learn from they mistakes before it's too late
Communication is everything, conversation's abandoned
People die every day because of misunderstandings
The highs and lows, the ups and downs
Pissy sidewalks, human shit on the ground
The ins and outs, whys and won'ts
History repeats itself, opportunities don't
Sad true story, unintentionally, not on purpose
Only time I see my family's at a funeral service
Her stomach keep hurting, but she didn't bother
'Cause you and I both know that black folk don't like to go to the doctor
One thing about us, mayne, we creative
And at the end of the day we all related
Through the slaves and the Indians and natives
They brought us here on a boat, whipped us and raped us
Scraps from a pig they gave us
So we cook pork chops, chitlins, ribs and bacon
Fucked around and got addicted swine, which wasn't supposed to be

[Chorus: Mike Marshall]
I was born in the struggle, ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I was born in the struggle
Yeah, our life it gets harder, the youth, they die younger
The time we get's harder, it's just what we're used to

[Verse 2: E-40]
OOOUH!
You got a ride to school, I had to walk
We had Rent-a-Center furniture, yours was bought
Paid for, your parents had more
You had a bed to yourself, I had to share mine with four
Sometimes I slept on the floor, that's probably why to this day
Sometime my back be sore, UGH, hard times
We was borderline poor, far from being the richest
If we didn't do our chores, we would get beat with switches
Born in the struggle where we all wanna bubble
Where it's hard to do good but easy to get in trouble
Can't be soft as table butter, can't be no punk
And every neighborhood be havin' their own internal funk
Boarded up houses, unsafe sex
Teenager at the bus stop smoking meth
Good girl gone bad, weak-minded without a doubt
Her parents didn't find out until her teeth fell out
Oil stains in the driveway, church on Sunday
Every time I go, seem like the preacher preaching to me
Pointing at me, looking at me
Heaven or hell, mayne, which one it's gon' be?

[Chorus: Mike Marshall]
I was born in the struggle, ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
(I was born in the struggle, yet I was born a Black man)
I was born in the struggle
Yeah, our life it gets harder, the youth, they die younger
The time we get's harder, it's just what we're used to

[Bridge: Mike Marshall & (E-40)]
Ooh, sometimes we sit back and watch things go by
Like that's the way they're supposed to be
No no
This ain't how it was meant to be
(This ain't how it was meant to be, mayne)
Turn around, look at your neighbor, ask somebody
(How cold is it?)
It's cold, cold, cold out here
(And what you talkin' 'bout?)
And I'm talkin' 'bout the weather
(Say it one more time, bruh)
I said it's cold, cold, cold, cold out here
(It's cold out here)
And I'm talkin' 'bout the weather
(What was you born in?)

[Chorus: Mike Marshall]
I was born in the struggle, ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
(Ooh, I was born, I was born, I was born, I was born, in the struggle)
I was born in the struggle
Yeah, our life it gets harder, the youth, they die younger
The time we get's harder, it's just what we're used to

[Interlude: E-40]
Dr. Cornel West, talk to 'em

[Outro: Dr. Cornel West]
Young folk don't come out of the sky, they come out of families, they come out of neighborhoods, they come out of mass media influence and so forth, you see? So by the time a young person's six-years-old, how many commercials have they seen? How many killings have they seen? Been exposed to a very violent society