[00:11.55]Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
[00:13.86]I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots
[00:16.43]I give a holler to my sisters on welfare
[00:18.53]Tupac cares if don't nobody else care
[00:22.47]I know they like to beat ya down a lot
[00:25.41]When you come around the block brothas clown a lot
[00:27.10]But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
[00:30.72]Forgive but don't forget keep your head up
[00:33.28]And when he tells you you ain't nothin don't believe him
[00:37.28]And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him
[00:40.12]'cause sista you don't need him
[00:42.16]And I ain't tryin to gas up, I just call em how I see em
[00:44.81]You know it makes me unhappy
[00:46.85]When brothas make babies and leave a young mother to be a pappy
[00:50.19]And since we all came from a woman
[00:52.80]Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
[00:55.51]I wonder why we take from our women
[00:59.03]Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
[01:00.97]I think it's time to kill for our women
[01:04.73]Time to heal our women, be real to our women
[01:07.97]And if we don't then we'll have a race of babies
[01:09.97]That hate the ladies that make the babies
[01:11.44]And since a man can't make one
[01:15.66]He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
[01:18.15]So would the real men get up
[01:20.88]I know your fed up ladies, but keep your head up
[01:25.72]Chorus]
[01:46.05]I remember Marvin Gaye used to sing to me
[01:48.91]He had me feeling like black was the thing to be
[01:51.59]And suddenly the ghetto didn't seem so tough
[01:53.40]And though we had it rough, we always had enough
[01:56.43]I often huffed and puffed about my curfew
[01:58.98]And broke the rules
[02:00.59]Ran with the local crew and had a smoke or two
[02:03.45]I realized mama really paid the price
[02:05.57]She nearly gave her life
[02:06.67]To raise me right
[02:09.19]And all I had to give was her was my life's dream
[02:11.44]Of how I'd rock the mic, and make it to the bright screen
[02:14.22]I'm tryin' to make a dollar out of fifteen cents
[02:16.69]It's hard to be legit and still pay the rent
[02:19.61]And in the end it seems I'm headin' for the pen
[02:22.69]I try and find my friends, but they're blowin' in the wind
[02:24.82]Last night my buddy lost his whole family
[02:27.54]It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity
[02:30.88]It seems the rain'll never let up
[02:33.41]I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin' wet up
[02:37.09]You know it's funny when it rains it pours
[02:38.88]They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor
[02:41.22]Say there ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is
[02:45.93]it ain't no hope for the future
[02:47.23]And then they wonder why we crazy
[02:49.51]I blame my mother, for turning my brother into a crack baby
[02:52.72]We ain't meant to survive, cause it's a setup
[02:56.32]And even though you're fed up
[02:58.51]Huh, ya got to keep your head up
[03:06.22]Chorus]
[03:20.51]And uh
[03:21.07]To all the ladies havin' babies on they own
[03:23.48]I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin' all alone
[03:26.33]Daddy's long gone and he left you by ya lonesome
[03:28.26]Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want em
[03:31.86]Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure
[03:35.80]And if you fall, stand tall and comeback for more
[03:37.47]Cause ain't nothin' worse than when your son
[03:40.16]wants to know why his daddy don't love him no mo'
[03:42.58]You can't complain you was dealt this
[03:45.13]hell of a hand without a man, feelin' helpless
[03:47.77]Because there's too many things for you to deal with
[03:50.67]Dying inside, but outside you're looking fearless
[03:53.19]While tears, is rollin' down your cheeks
[03:56.26]Ya steady hopin' things don't all down this week
[03:58.80]Cause if it did, you couldn't take it, and don't blame me
[04:02.86]I was given this world I didn't make it
[04:06.53]And now my son's gettin' older and older and cold
[04:09.38]From havin' the world on his shoulders
[04:11.97]While the rich kids is drivin' Benz
[04:13.92]I'm still tryin' to hold on to my survivin' friends
[04:15.61]And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but