Remember when Hip Hop songs meant something? remember when there was a relevant message? Today I take you way back with an important blast from the past.
This song burned deep in my mind this morning as I ran a few errands throughout my neighborHOOD. The last verse of the song struck a nerve deep down with an intensity that I’m hard pressed to explain…
If your neighborHOOD is like mine perhaps you’ll feel me…
The last verse of The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five:
A child is born, wih no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling but he is frowning too
Cause only god knows what you go through
You grow in the ghetto, living second rate
And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate
The places you play and where you stay
Looks like one great big alley way
You’ll admire all the numberbook takers;
thugs, pimps, pushers and the big money makers
Driving big cars, spending twenties and tens
And you wanna grow up to be just like them
Smugglers, scrambles, burglars, gamblers
Pickpocketers, peddlers and even pan-handlers
You say I’m cool, I’m no fool
But then you wind up dropping out of highschool
Now you’re unemployed, all null ‘n’ void
Walking around like you’re pretty boy Floyd
Turned stickup kid, look what you done did
Got send up for a eight year bid
Now your man hood is took and you’re a Maytag
Spend the next two years as an undercover fag
Being used and abused, and served like hell
Till one day you was find hung dead in a cell
It was plain to see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes sing the sad sad song
Of how you lived so fast and died so young
Don’t push me, cause I’m close to the edge
I’m trying not to loose my head
It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder
How I keep from going under
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