9th Wonder - And This is For... lyrics

[Verse 1: Murs] Damn time's done changed these thugs do what they like Some of them be on Friendster tryna find a new wife And still hit the block and slang rocks at night But you could be dead wrong with your pockets right Contrary to what the legendary B.I.G. had to say You don't have to sell d** or make the NBA It's easy to get a grant and get an MBA To achieve one goal there's more than one way Young people on the whole, we have lost our way I don't care what it cost I'm not impressed my n***a That throwback jersey is a dress my n***a I remember diamonds used to be girl's best friend Enslaving Black children with them third world gems I don't care about your rims, kids ride Big Wheels Up until they learn balance and it's obvious you haven't With way more ego than you have true talent [Verse 2] Any white boy who thinks he knows my struggle Cause he listens to Pac and his adrenaline doubles Now I ain't got problems with you being yourself But when you front and use the N word, it just don't help I might not trip, and your friends'll laugh at you But I know some real n***as that'll straight up slap you Now you could be down, but let's act growed up Cause we ain't the same color when police show up My culture's not a trend, being Black is not in But for you it's just a phase you're gonna have to transcend While even if I tried, I could never blend in To society's mainstream, American dream Yeah, it's all one love, but remember one thing This music is my life, not a cultural fling It's an expression of the soul when we dance and sing And you are blessed to have a chance to even glance the scene [Verse 3] Man I do the same music, they stop coming to shows It's like they scared of the white boys in the front row First I was like "so?" I'mma get my dough But the numbers kept falling as my fan base would grow And now I'm concerned so I gotta speak up First the money was the only thing shutting me up But now I don't care, don't support me, get mad Why wouldn't you abort me, my own people have I feel I should have the scans white rappers have It's sad but that's the way it is What's the reason that my album doesn't sell like his? And don't front like you don't why the hell that is It's because he's white, you can relate to his face Through the years you've been taught that Black is unsafe Plus it's only natural for your own to be embraced Conscious or subconscious you can't say that ain't the case Only reason it took so long to take place Was up until now your only choice was 3rd Ba** Or others like Ice, wasn't really that tight Now you got some white dudes who can truly rock the mic You relate to their stories cause you share that past Question is, why would you listen to MURS' Black a**? I asked myself for a while but now I finally get it Good music transcends all physical limits It's more than something that you hear, it's something that you feel When the author and experience and pa**ion is real Used to feel I should be silent, I was scared to do this song But I want everyone aware of what is going on Yes it is jazz and yes it is the blues And yes it is the exact same way they did rock But I refuse to watch the same thing happen to hip-hop I refuse to watch that bullsh**...