For the Love

[Intro]
Yeah, this is for all the pioneers
For all the fathers
For all the grandfathers, the uncle's
The stepfather's even (for the love)
For all those great men..
Who showed the youth the right way
And talked the real talk with the youth
Yeah, this for y'all

[Hook]
Yo this is for the love, it's for the love of you
It's for the love of you
Yo this is for the love, it's for the love of you
It's for the love of you

[Defari]
Yo this one's for the love of you Pop
With me, the ball you'd never drop
In first grade it was the bully you told me to sock
This is for everything you taught..
For every basketball you caught, and every football you bought
It's from the heart let me explain
This for the fact that I'm proud to be named after Dwayne
And James, I know that times has changed since grand-dad died
Hey - the whole family's rearranged
But still, one thing remains the same
I remember all the times we had pizza after every game
I remember the music..
You bumped Coltrane, The Eisley's, Mays, George Duke shit
Not to mention war..
I remember the L.A. street scene in '83, we saw Stevie
I was just a young soldier, Pop, you showed me the streets
And what to watch for when I got older
Pop, you taught knowledge yourself, yo, how's Dennis?
This for the fact that you was born and raised in Venice

[Hook]

[Defari]
Yo this one's for the love of you Uncle -
That's what we called you
Six foot six, man you was too tall to -
For any of us to have the balls to -
Step outta line, and face the wrath on our behinds
I always watched what you did - sipped a Scotch
Beautiful wife, all those kids, in a big crib
You was the Don of the fam, no doubt
If any problem, you'd be the one who always worked shit out
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, a true man of the house
Be the cushion for the family, when they fall down
The felonious, from you I learned about Thelonious - Monk
And Charlie Parker, yo that's my unc
Yo Uncle, I remember the day you grabbed your muscle
Who woulda thought that a Scotch and a smoke could provoke a stroke
The whole family - shocked, watched, and waited
Your return... was highly anticipated
And even though after that you slowed down
I'll cherish the times that we talked and sat around
You dropped jew-els that I'll never forget
From your life I gained so much to work with

[Hook]

[Defari]
Yo this one's for the love of you Dale
For all the times we watched - James Worthy kill Kevin McHale
For all the times you would prevail
To rescue a nigga in high school, when his car failed
You've been down since sixth grade
When a brotha had a frill, before the days of the ways
I thank the almighty..
That you was there with me and moms, holdin' down nightly
You remember in front of the house
That rat cat got out and tried to run
You chased him down and almost broke his neck
They had to pull you off him
Good thing for that cat, cause he was headed for a coffin
Do you remember Patti Austin?
Remember how moms used to bump Quincy Jones' "The Dude"?
Aiyyo Dale, you more than a step-dad
We share the blood of Monique, my little sister
Can't forget that

[Hook]