LITW

Young lion
Heart of a mayor
Major player in the city of naira paper
We say prayers five times a day
So our hearts hate Satan til our dying day
He came from a family of plenty brothers
Who showed him the ropes about life in this joke
Next week heading to a new leaf
Flying overseas to make peas for his family
To migrate is innate when poverty is at your door ready to immigrate
So he said his goodbyes wishing he never told lies
Plotting plans to survive with a baby on arrive
They say young love never ends fair
Mothering a great seed he had put there
Foluke, fair skin with black and brown hair
Family of Christians ready for warfare
She was only 19 with plenty dreams to share her views a young black queen
Fear of bringing shame to her family
Daughter of a preacher, forbidden to give birth in the manger
Now their French Nigerians, speaking ‘Je la vu’ with no experience
Time to be vigilant; no one gives a toss about immigrants
Impotence we all stray from deliverance
Minutes tense……

I’m getting bigger in this dark room
Only advice from god was to stay true
And get money like a typhoon
Back outside to this jungle
The promise land is a hustle
Far from humble constant hustle working cleaner in a hostel
Ishola will never pick up no tissue
He know the street well like a referee official
Getting money, smoking weed with his people
Fuck the police and weasels
Government officials, waving their legal pistols at your crystals
Life in the UK as an immagray
Juggling four jobs just to get paid
So what’s the attraction??
It’s my time oya start the contractions
God told me life’s like a abortion
So whatever I do choose action
Meanwhile Foluke’s in distress
Wondering why her son ain't delivered yet
Twenty hours in labor!
I take’s time for the arrival of a saviour
Fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah
Here comes the destroyer
Son of a Zion solder
Solo trooper, picked up the mic sober left it lean
And when my dad left I knew I had to chase the dream
Oldest of three children that’s my team

I saw colder nights and colder mornings
Going to school with 30p for spending
So I stole some donuts, sold em to teachers
So I could buy my favourite pair of sneakers
I never failed exams I had to pass
Then I found myself in Uni fast
I remember how slow the fast days were
Picture this imaginary as I strike a theory
Poetically imagined like a fairy
He who laid eyes, forgot that text lied
Even I was led astray blinded by the rules I obeyed
Eternally guilty is our souls
Chasing what we think is the goal
That’s all we know, that’s all we see
Before I die I leave you with my memories
In this city of hopefuls
But when hope falls
They lose sight of perception
No moral sense of affection
Life in the west side
To what extent can I express what’s inside?
Without being given a label from the cradle to the boss
I shall fear no boss
For thy is the kingdom, power and glory
Lend me your ears and let me tell you my story

Like a beggar at the feat of Jesus
When grace began
I’m only Afrikan, born to sin
They don’t like my accent they say I can’t rap like I do
What the hell have I done!
I ran with my own style in this marathon
Half of these school boys couldn’t last twenty minutes in my dissertation
I swore never to live my life serving
Cos we are all the same in Egypt
The way I see it
We are all ghosts in the land of freedom
I put myself in my dad’s shoes
So I could understand his mind fuse
A part of me wanted to get to know the dude
Honour thy father, but male pride is a killer
Murderer in the eyes of progress
And I do all I know best
Life in the west
Do all I know best
Life in the west
Do all I know best
Life in the west