Shyheim, Popa Wu, Tekitha - Manchild lyrics

I'm a manchild born in the promised land
Captain of my destiny
Guidin my faith through the
Turbulence of life
See, in order to be who you are
You've got to know who you are
In order to get to where you want to go
You've got to know from whence you came
See, it was Malcolm X who said
"A man who doesn't have nothing
To stand up for
Will fall for any god damn thing!"

Damn, Woke up again down my face drop tears
It's like nobody cares
I swear, life ain't fair
Sometimes I wanna disappear
Only Blahzay Blah', I got mad gray hairs
I'm a young old man what part of "Shit Iz
Real" don't you understand?
Twin got murdered, caught one to the temple
You ain't been what I been through
Can It Be All So Simple?
I got bad nerves, it's absurd, I'm disturbed
So, I suggest you watch the
Words that you blurb
Out your mouth, or it'll be a shoot out
I'll leave you stretched out, I'm thugged
Inside and out and it ain't by choice
I'm screaming out loud for love
(AHHHH) , do anybody hear my voice?
Pardon the noise, I'm just a black ghetto boy
Went through the rain and pain
Where's the sunshine and joy?
I can't seem to find it
Trapped in the black cloud
Watching my life go down
To hide the suffering, i smile

Running these streets can be so
Trying these trying times
Manchild in the promised land
Who of you will understand?
Running these streets can be so
Trying these trying times
Manchild in the promised land, hey ay

My aunt died from AIDS
I watched her deteriorate
She told me fucking wit drugs
Was her biggest mistake
Put my moms on to it
Sticking needles in her veins
Being sons of addicts drove
Me and Cane insane
We packed bags at Pathmark
We both humped Tamika
We used to go to the pool
Just to steal kids' sneakers
Rocked cut-off beepers
Wore old clothes for Easter
Shit was so real
We had to split a slice of pizza
I was born at six months (damn) premature
My moms birthed a thug like, Afeni Shakur
I'm surprised I ain't crazy
From the bugged shit I saw
I caught my mother buying crack
On the first floor, before
I never thought I'd be in a cell
Smoking a Newport
With all sorts of thoughts
Running through my mind
Know I ain't leaving, caught
DA talking jail time
I glanced at my mom's eyes
She looking like she wanna cry

They say I'm an accident waiting to happen, G
Miss Ann from the first floor said
She gon' pray for me
She had a bad dream, that they murdered me
I said, "Miss, truthfully
I don't believe in dreams"
Hope lives miles away, from where I stay
Who knows the way? Pssshhh shit, I'd pay
For the directions
My whole family's in corrections
Fake friends half-stepping, I'm stressing
Answer question can I trust you?
(Uh, huh) , then I love you (Yea)
If not? straight up and down, fuck you!
Bottom line, real people do real things
Play your position
(running these streets can be so)


You see, it's like this
You've got to plan your work
And work your plan
Cause he who fails to plan, plans to fail
Execute your strategy and seize your goal
Cause see, persistence overcomes resistance
Peace