Young black America Yeah, I was on that corner, tryna get my coins up Coppers run up on us and we turn to Jackie Joyner White man kill a black man, they never report us Black man kill a white man, they gon' start a war up Mama she was sour, sippin' on

Never wanted anything so bad She got me wishing that she could stay Doesn't even know that I missed my plane Not a single thing I wouldn't trade For a ticket to L.A It was midnight in the middle of JFK Trying to take her mind off the fallin' rain

And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life I was Cleopatra, I was young and an actress When you knelt by my mattress, and asked for my hand But I was sad you

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives Tomorrow is too late to pretend Everything's all right I'm not getting any younger as long as you don't get any older I'm not going to state that yesterday never was Bloodshot deadbeat and lack of sleep

'Cause of you, my chains were broken You were there with your arms wide open I was young Almighty bueno Once I was young Now I'm older, yeah Unchanging love, more than a blessing If it wasn't for your love How I woulda make it through ooh

When I was younger You told me I should get my shit together You said life is a painting I told myself that I don't care I found some new innovations Might just be my imagination It might've been just a dream People can dream But all your colors always

Pull out your heart to make the being alone If it was easy, everyone would do it This game is not Easy, easy (Eazy) Pull out your heart to make the being alone (yeah) Easy, easy (talkin’ to my younger self) Dear Gerald, you’re fourteen years and a truant

They were hiding behind hay bales, They were planting in the full moon They had given all they had for something new But the light of day was on them, They could see the thrashers coming And the water shone like diamonds in the dew. And I was just

*Nas talking* "The light is there." See I come from Mississippi I was young and runnin' wild Ended up in New York City, where I had my first child I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas I told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man

You, are, the only exception But, you, are, the only exception When I was younger I saw my daddy cry And cursed at the wind He broke his own heart And I watched As he tried to re-assemble it And my momma swore