If It Was Up II Me

[Intro - Junior Reid ad libs]

[Verse 1: Bun B]
I hear we livin in the last days (days), it's revelation
And you best get right with God (God) or else Hell is waitin
The world is comin to an end, every day is a storm
Or a flood or tsunamis (damn), this shit ain't the norm
We've got Katrina and Rita, mines keep collapsing
With the fires and mud slides, I'm like "what's happening?"
Got the kids in the school gettin raped and molested
Underfunded, under protected, no wonder they tested
In the lowest damn percentage rate (rate)
And my city is damn near the lowest in the state (state)
You can equate that to the state funds that ain't breakin down right
Rich districts get more and poor ones get less and it just don't sound right (nope)
So I'm fittin to pound right on the doors of my city hall
And kick them hoes down (down), they killin my city y'all
We need to get my people back to where they should be
And since nobody else gon' do it, it's gon' have to be me, mayne

[Hook: Junior Reid]
If it was up to me
? the community
And if it was up to me
You couldn't have no war between 2Pac and B.I.G
And if it was up to me
Them could not lock up China, them could not lock up Pimp C
If it was up to me
They couldn't have no AIDS and you wouldn't have no HIV

[Verse 2: Bun B]
First of all the projects is fucked up and it ain't just with the drugs
We got more problems than the dealers and thugs
They usin lead-based paint and asbestos is killin us
We tell them to fix it up but they just ain't feelin us
They rather kick us out and tear it down to the ground
So they can put up a parking lot, a mall or some condos
Condemn the whole place cause a few sell crack
Shit, the rest ain't do nothin wrong, what the fuck's up with that?
They say that one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch
But we talkin about some people not apples, this ain't lunch
Make me wanna punch a politician dead in his face
You say you represent my district, get yo' ass on the case
"Development is good for the hood", yeah that's what you tellin us
But bitch you on the payroll of the builders and developers
Fuck what you sellin us, pipe dreams for suckers
You can take that 'round the corner to them other motherfuckers, mayne

[Bridge: Junior Reid]
So much youth they sacrifice
Just to live in Paradise
Play they tricks and tell they lies (I know-ow)
It's sad to see how they treat the poor
Have so much and still want more
I see my people every day on the floor

[Hook: Junior Reid]
If it was up to me
? the community
And if it was up to me
You couldn't have no war between 2Pac and B.I.G
And if it was up to me
Them could not lock up China, them could not lock up Pimp C
If it was up to me
They couldn't have no AIDS and you wouldn't have no HIV

[Verse 3: Bun B]
It's time to educate the people mayne, free school and college
(college)
So everybody across the board can get the same knowledge
Education leads to jobs (jobs) and jobs kill poverty
And no more poverty means we makin money, obviously
Everybody gettin money, everybody smilin (smilin)
Motherfuckers ain't eatin, then motherfuckers wildin (wildin)
Matter fact speakin of eatin, let's feed the homeless in America
Let these other folks handle they own shit
How I'm a clean your house and mine still dirty? (dirty)
How I'm a feed yo' kids while mine sit thirsty? (thirsty)
And speakin of the kids we need to spend some more time with 'em
Can't turn 'em loose in the streets (why?) cause they dyin in 'em (damn)
And all this naked head sex, man you trippin
Fuck love, I'm lovin life you ain't gon' catch ya boy slippin (slippin)
You say ya boy trippin, I'm just keepin it G
Cause you can see how good the world would be if it was up to me mayne

[Hook: Junior Reid]
If it was up to me
? the community
And if it was up to me
You couldn't have no war between 2Pac and B.I.G
And if it was up to me
Them could not lock up China, them could not lock up Pimp C
If it was up to me
They couldn't have no AIDS and you wouldn't have no HIV

[Bridge: Junior Reid]
So much youth they sacrifice
Just to live in Paradise
Play they tricks and tell they lies (I know-ow)