Yellow Brick Road

"What we have to do is deal with it when these individuals are young Enough, if you will, to be saved, not in a religious sense, But not to constitute what this country At times calls their throwaway children." "We seem to be approaching an age of the gross." {burp} "We all have this idea that we should move up a little bit from our Parents' nation and each generation should do a little bit better." Alright, come on, let's cut the bullshit, enough Let's get it started, Let's start addressin' this issue, and open it up Let's take this shit back to the basement And we can discuss statements that's made on this tape and Its whole origin of the music that we all know and love The music that we all enjoy The music you accuse me of tryin' to destroy Let's rewind it to '89 when I was a boy On the east side of Detroit, crossin' 8 Mile into Warren Into hick territory; I'd like to share a story This is my story, and can't nobody tell it for me You have well informed me, I am well-aware That I don't belong here: you've made that perfectly clear I get my ass kicked damn near everywhere From Bel-Aire shopping center just for stopping in there From the black side all the way to the white side Okay, there's a bright side, a day that I might slide You may call it a pass, I call it haulin' my ass Through that patch of grass over them railroad tracks Oh, them railroad tracks, them old railroad tracks Them good old notorious so well known tracks So, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road As we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place That I once used to call home sweet home Come on, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road As we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place That I once used to call home sweet home I'd roam the streets so much they'd call me a drifter Sometimes I'd stick up a thumb just to hitchhike Just to get picked up to get me a lift to 8 Mile and Van Dyke and steal a goddamn bike From somebody's backyard, and drop it off at the park That was the halfway mark, to meet Kim, had to walk Back to her mama's on Chalmers after dark To sneak me in the house when I'm kicked out my Mom's That's about the time I first met Proof With Goofy Gary on the steps At Osbourne, handin' out some flyers He was doin' some talent shows at Center Line High I had told him to stop by and check this out sometime He looked at me like I'm out my mind Shook his head, like, "White boys don't know how to rhyme." I spit out a line and rhymed "birthday" with "first place" And we both had the same rhymes that sound alike We was on the same shit, that Big Daddy Kane shit With compound syllables sound combined From that day we was down to ride Somehow we knew we'd meet again somewhere down the line So, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road As we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place That I once used to call home sweet home Come on, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road As we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place That I once used to call home sweet home My first year in 9th grade, can't forget that day at school It was cool 'til your man MC Shan came through He said that Puma's the brand 'cause the Klan makes Troops It was rumors, but man, goddamn, they flew Musta been true, because man, we done banned they shoes I had the new ones, the Cool J, Ice Lamb, suede too But we just threw 'em in the trash like they yesterday's news Guess who came through next? X Clan debuted, Professor X (vanglorious) Exists in a state of red, black and green, with a key, sissies! Now with this being a new trend, we don't fit in Crackas is out with Cactus albums, blackness is in African symbols and medallions represent Black Power And we ain't know what it meant, me and my man Howard And Butta would go to the mall With 'em all over our necks like we're showin 'em off Not knowin' at all we was being laughed at "You ain't even half black! You ain't 'posed to have that, homie, let me grab that! And that Flavor Flav clock, we gon' have to snatch that!" All I remember is meeting back at Manix's basement Sayin' how we hate this How racist but dope the X Clan's tape is Which reminds me, back in '89, me And Kim broke up for the first time; she was tryna two-time me And there was this black girl at our school Who thought I was cool 'Cause I rapped, so she was kinda eyein' me And oh the irony, guess what her name was? Ain't even goin' say it, plus, the same color hair as hers Was and blue contacts and a pair of jugs The bombest goddamn girl in our whole school If I could pull her, not only would I become more popular But I would be able to piss Kim off at the Same time; but it backfired I was supposed to dump her but she dumped me for this black guy And that's the last I ever seen or heard Or spoke to the "Oh Foolish Pride" girl But I've heard people say they heard the tape and it ain't that bad But it was: I singled out a whole race And for that I apologize, I was wrong 'Cause no matter what color a girl is, she's still a ho So, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road As we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place That I once used to call home sweet home Come on, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road As we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place That I once used to call home sweet home