~You inspire me yet again my brother~

I observed them on the curb with white tees and white Nikes
So confused as to how they could post all night with no tent in sight
Then the next day in school I would spy them with that same white tee
At my old school we rocked collared shirts and khakis so this was the new fresh to me
Then I learned the color code and that white stood for “coke”
Tried to crush on a couple girls and learned flannel stood for “broke.”
So I coyly asked as more of a suggestion than a question
How to get work…..because classmates backpacks bulged at the seam with crack and perk like an Apple Bottoms model in session.
Moms was struggling with the rent…..child support never came when it was needed
So I wanted to go out and make my way in the world because a man of the house was needed
Plus my friends were getting paid and I wanted to best friends with Ben Franklin
But getting’ locked-up for intent to sell was a quick way to ruin my life in my estimation
So I went for Taco Bell instead….lol…hustlin’ tacos to friends saying “come by for a bite”
I can’t lie…..getting tips on front register for giving discounts was pretty nice

They were in a world I had always thought was beneath me like Atlantis
But when I wasn’t at home they schooled me “in loco parentis”
I longed to be a d-boy, money bulging out of my jeans
So every night on my pillow, being a hustler was part of my dreams

Inside was comfy with video games aplenty
Outside was hot; block was crowded with too many negatives to tempt me
But I loved to ball and NBA Jam ’99 was no longer enough
Quickly fell in because I could take it to the rack and my jumper was tough.
Now I had girls sweating me like a hot day with no pool in sight
No more shoveling snow for dough or aspirations of being a hustler because I was on the phone all night
I had my head in the books; teachers loved me so I got on their computers to fix friends grades
Started brushing’ my hair with grease so the naps disappeared and I got waves
I had my own designs….sewing’ rhinestones on fitteds while classmates sewed rocks in their socks
Feeling kinda big because there was nothing but love to go around when I stepped on the block.
Started to get a little cocky….walking with my nose in the air
No longer a common peasant….brother rapped so that boosted my popularity plus I was fresher than the Prince of Bel-Air
Then “fresh” got pricier….and making minimum wage meant it wasn’t in my budget
Then I found out the hard way that girls would no longer make their love for me public
Because when I quit my job to become more gainfully employed
They all turned their backs on me because I was newly unemployed
So I swore when I got back on I would no longer post on the stairs with honey dips in-waiting
Because now that I was broke there were no more eligible suitors waiting
The l’s made life better…problems almost seemed to disappear
Pops wasn’t around so I fell out of touch with church for about three years

They were in a world I had always thought was beneath me like Atlantis
But when I wasn’t at home they schooled me “in loco parentis”
I longed to be a d-boy, money bulging out of my jeans
So every night on my pillow, being a hustler was part of my dreams

I finally got a job that paid more than my peers
I started to “Walk Hard” like Dewey Cox because I was bankin’ money without the anxiety and hustler’s tears
Then I thought I found the love of my life….personality and curves with a mocha skin tone
Then all the sudden all the time in the world wasn’t long enough when we were on the phone
She had this man feelin’ sprung walking with my head in the clouds
Tellin’ my friends “Yo, that’s my girl” I couldn’t be more proud
She helped me with my rhetoric..….spittin’ poems to get in her head
Then all those poems ended up landing me in her bed.
Then I found out one of the most important lessons in life
“YOU CAN’T TURN A HO INTO A HOUSEWIFE!”
So with my heart in my hands I picked up my pen and my pad
No more love poems, I wrote to change the world and about how much I missed my dad.
Confidence grew…..cd came out…..then I hit the stage
Head started swellin’ ‘cause chicks were diggin’ the poems on my myspace page.
Then I went back to that same old block with cd’s and notebooks in hand
Pushin’ an ’03 Explorer now, so I’m suddenly the man
So the kid with the big head that had to walk past his friends on the curb
Found his own niche in life…..drugs no longer have an appeal dude; I’m hustlin’ words!