Letter To A Teenage Blk Boy

[Intro]
(Uh, yeah)
This a letter for a young boy from St. Louis
I hope you can take this (Uh)
I live life, I see now

[Verse 1]
Look
This a letter to my younger-self
I'm coming back to talk to you cuz you got no one else
You gotta know yourself, believe in you
The ones you love gon’ be leaving you
The ones that you trust don't believe in you
It's gon’ get dark and you gotta see it through
Your conditions a obstacle field
Won't have a father and you won't mesh with your mama for real
But it's important you understand, don't place blame
Just stay aimed, you gon' be the reason your family maintain
You gon' feel something deep inside that you can't explain
Know you meant for more than you see on a every-day
The school system is bullshit, you gon’ prove it
But you gon’ take the knowledge that you gather and use it
The biggest lesson that I can tell you is that you too loyal
The first woman that you give your heart to is gon' destroy you
Let’s scale back your environment it gon' give you purpose
It's gon' make you angry first cuz the one’s you love gon' get murdered
There's nothin you can do to change it just accept it
You gon' start to bury all your feelings and feel neglected
The world is gon' be on your shoulders, just expect it but
You built for it, you can handle it
So any road block placed in front of you, you gonna damage it
The more you live, the more you wanna die
But at the same time the more you live, you don't wanna die

[Verse 2]
Yeah
One day you gon' have children and something that you never had you gon' have to give them
You gon' have to figure it out, cuz they gon' need you
Fight for em, keep em beside you, they believe in you
Be patient, but control the initiative
Lotta people gon' stop believing but you gon' wake up soon as they start sleeping
The world gon' fall in your hands and you gon' squeeze it
Rules to the game I'mma share with you three
Follow thy self never follow the lead
Take head to mistakes you witness, don't matter what
Keep going, no such thing as finished, know your worth
But know you're cursed, every single thing you gain gon' come from the dirt
Keep going young nigga, keep going
They gon' tell you to stop, but keep flowing

I came up from nothing, it ain't something you can tell me
Tried to black ball me, I'm black, can't blackmail me
Always been intelligent, teachers know they couldn't fail me
Conduct my own path, the system couldn't road rail me
Don't do no drive-byes we park then hop out
And I ain't satisfied til the brain drop out
That's terrible, but where I'm from, nigga you better pull
I understand young nigga I come from where you from nigga
You gon' have to learn life on your own, don't be a victim, make the life that you want
That's real shit

[Bridge]
“Trials and tribulations
You live and you learn
You get knocked down
You get back up again
Go hard”

[Verse 3]
One of the last ones living
Make sure every time I leave the crib I tell my girl and my children that I love em'
Then I blast off sipping, burner in hand or I'll be damned if they get a laugh off, crippin'
I'm just happy that my grandma livin', damn ya'll ignorant
It's just music til your sons influenced and choosing the wrong path to follow, get blammed with hollows
Closed casket and the pastor passing judgement
Over the pallbearers that's carrying and standing beside him
Was on honor roll till he enrolled in the rolling 60's
And I can't even roll in peace was hoping that he got the kodak
But the bigger picture won't fit in the small mind frame to be specific
So, I take shots in your memory just wishing I could get my motherfuckin' bro back
Faces up when I move though I shoot for the bull like Kukoc, maneuver the coup like Bruce Wayne
Hop out dressed like Snoop though
I just tell CRose put it on loop though so
I can leave the mutherfuckin planet inside these mutherfuckin booth doors
Fork in the road leads to greatness or the path of normality nigga choose yours
Yeah