Imagine
What happens in neighborhoods where the self-esteem has been over-shadowed by the decay?
And the children no longer play the way they used to
Where young boys choose to follow figures that had no father figures
A place where lives have been reduced to mere names on a nigga wall
A lot of dead shames on a nigga wall cause most of my childhood friends died over some dumb shit
Its like we’re all on some slum shit
Whatever happened to that ‘we shall overcome’ shit?
Where I’m from shit
They done tore down the projects and took away neighborhood sports
It’s a place where little black boys put on jerseys and shorts
Dream big about stardom on fine, hardwood courts
But awake to the harsh reality of the stripped, unfinished, inner city floors where life splinters
Cold winters are sheltered by crack houses instead of recreational centers that they claim not to have the paper to keep open for operation
The deconstruction of the black family has been in perpetuation ever since Willy Lynch set his theory in motion
De-characterization was his soul promotion
Therefore if you take the basketball out of his face and put the coke in its place he’ll still score
What’s a young boy to do when he doesn’t want to do wrong but there’s a lock on the right door
When he has the heart of a soldier the aggression of a prizefighter but no ones taught him what to fight for
See most of our families are fatherless and quite poor
So we miss out on meals as well as kisses and hugs
You’ve got the audacity to cut the funding for the facilities that keep us off the streets
Then ask us why we sell drugs
But imagine if niggas put down their dice and guns picked up their daughters and sons and put a little love right there where the hate is
Imagine if niggas got the chance to become accountants before being taught what the difference between wet and dry weight is
Imagine if these little inner city kids had the same type of schools that these rich kids have way out there in the sticks
Imagine if niggas had the chance to learn chemistry for real before we learn how to whip seven and a half out of six
Imagine if these little black girls got to go to that dance school for free and learn to love to dream of that Broadway show
Imagine if she wasn’t forced into a game where you assume a filthy name and put your soul and your ass up for show
Imagine if she was taught to love herself, imitate no one, demand and demonstrate respect when she walks through the door
Imagine if she turned on the tele and watched herself doing the primetime hour instead of the four o’clock video whore
Imagine