“Wanna Be There” is rapped with a voice unusual in Hip-Hop: resigned, nostalgic, heavy with the weary experience of an uncompromising street aesthete who has never blown-up, but instead achieved modest success. Through this poignant awareness of self, AZ thanks God, humbly asks for our respect, and...
Yeah, you see, some men see things the way they are, and say, why?
I see things that never was and say, why not?
Just wanna be there, you know? y'all realize, I hold this down
[Verse 1]
East New York, Eighty-two, first Pumas navy blue
First wife Keisha Wilson with love, she was my baby boo
Crazy crew, paying dues, few of us made it through
Front window, Ms. Gladys, that was my favorite view
Hated school, never went, hookie was better spend
Right around the time the god Ra' spoke of dead presidents
Devilish ever since, seeking for hope
Needing some form of nourishment, it's eighty-eight
Skin starting to radiate, hair on my baby-face
Mama bear could see that I'm there, she finally gave me space
Change of pace moving quicker, consuming liquor
Humping upon some chicks pussy trying to undo her zipper
Gucci slippers who can diss us? 40 deuce movie pictures
What other way but poetically can I prove these scriptures?
Drugs sold 'em, cars rode 'em, guns near my scrotum
Got locked, got right out, gave what I owed 'em
Cried when they buried Will, killed 'Po killed Phil
Murdered Donald Jones, shot clip hit Bill
Prince in prison, damn, yeah I'm still living
I can see 'em up in heaven my nigga dance to the rhythm
God, show me another way, give me another day
Open the lane up so I can make these fuckers pay
[Hook]
Now don't be bringing me no flowers when I'm gone
Cause I won't be coming back when I move on
Any love you hold inside, let me see
Cause it won't mean a thing when I leave
I just wanna be there
[Verse 2]
Loving da game you gave me, loving my name is AZ
Never sold millions, but fuck it I'm here to save the babies
Look how a lady raised me, some would say he crazy
I'm just a nigga from Brooklyn repping the streets that made me
Rapping for quite a while, all around, tighter style
One of the flyest with the brightest smile, try me how?
Save all the accusations, keep all the confrontations
I'm sitting contemplating trying to crack the combination
Move mystique mostly, must that I keep cozy
At times I creeped doly this is what the East showed me
More into music making trying to renew relations
Ducking the dudes that's hating, please don't make me lose my patience
I put it down for y'all my face surrounds Allah
My catalogue consists of a hundred thousand bars
The god, please respect me, ya heard?
[Hook x2]
(Be there, be there
Any love for AZ, let him see)
Wanna Be There was written by Chop Diesel & AZ.
Wanna Be There was produced by Chop Diesel.
AZ released Wanna Be There on Tue Jun 11 2002.