I know.
I promised I wouldn’t be so hard on you,
I meant it too.
So much you don’t understand,
you’re surrounded by lots of fakes and phonies,
so I need a Plan B for you to be a real man,
just in case you gotta do it without me.
May seem I’m obsessed with death,
but it could be something else,
too many different ways,
life can make it harder for regular niggas to be fathers,
damage from wounds can be scaring,
then it’s too late, people realize things they do are only harming you.
Sometimes that’s life;
the cards you’re dealt often don’t feel right,
I know a thing or two, maybe five,
my hand was baptized by fire,
but your grandma did her best,
that’s a real superhero,
I been trying to be that person for you,
Even though some will say that ain’t true,
you know now,
hope you’ll remember through it all that I love you.
I try to become a man you can be proud of,
despite the justice missing from this messed up system,
you gonna see,
things aren’t easy lookin’ like you and me,
I’ll keep reminding you it’s not your fault,
hate digs deep especially in the weak,
this is just the result,
being Black comes with extra weight,
I don’t think that’ll change by the time you’re an adult.
These are hard lessons,
best you be prepared,
it would break my heart forever,
if you become a victim just cause you ain’t know better,
In that aspect, I wish you’d be just like me,
My pops left on his own, I know how that absence can get filled,
with all types of resentment,
from either coming to terms with the lies that you’ve heard,
or realizing that the truth about liars is still gone hurt.
Things you’ll have to face,
I gave you my gifts; my DNA; even got my face,
but you were short changed on the other side,
swear I tried, but that’s still on me;
type of shit that keeps a nigga up at night.
Might make it so we don’t always agree,
Influences come from angles different shapes,
No matter how sharp I make your blades,
Most likely some goin’ come as snakes,
Most others, hidden or close to you, Fueled by ignorance,
Those who mean the best can be hard to tell the difference.