(feat. Poppa Wu, Tekitha)



[Poppa Wu]

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 where you came

Say, it was Malcolm X who said, 

"A man who doesn't have nothin to stand up for

will fall for any god damn thing!"



[Shyheim]

I walk with a gat...



Damn, my face drop tears, it's like nobody cares

I swear, life ain't fair, sometimes I wanna disappear

Only Blahzay Blah' 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 *gunshot*

You ain't been what I been through, Can It Be All So Simple?

I got bad nerves, it's absurb, I'm disturbed

So, I suggest you watch the words that you blurb

out your mouth, or it'll be a shoot out

I leave you stretched out, I'm thugged, inside and out

And it ain't by choice

I'm screamin 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

Watchin my life go down, to hide the suffer when I smile



[Chorus: Tekitha]

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...



[Shyheim]

My aunt died from AIDS, I watched here deteriate

She told me fuckin wit drugs, was her biggest mistake

Put my moms on to it, stickin needles in her veins

Bein sons of addicts, yo, me and Cane the same

We packed bags at BathMart, we both humped Tamika

We used to go to the pool, just to steal kid's 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 bug shit I saw

I caught my mother buyin crack on the first floor

I never thought I'd be in a cell, smokin the NewPort

with all sorts of thoughts, runnin through my mind

Know I ain't leavin, caught, D.A. took it, jail time

I glanced at my mom's eyes, she lookin like she wanna cry



[Chorus x2]



[Shyheim]

They say I'm an accident waitin to happen, G

Miss Sand 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 is miles away, from where I stay

Who knows the way? Pssshhh... should I pay

for the directions? My whole family's in correction

Fake friends half-steppin, I'm stressin, and some question

Can I trust you? Uh-huh, then I love you

Yea, if not, straight up and down, fuck you

Bottomline, real people do real things

Play your position... (running these streets can be so...)



[Chorus to fade]



[Poppa Wu in background of chorus]

You see, its like this

You've got to plan your work and work your plan

Cuz seein who fails the plan, plans the fail

Execute your strategy and seize your goal

Cuz see, persistance overcomes resistance

Peace