Message To The Rappers

Hey, yeah, we the same brothas from a long time ago
We was talkinÂ' about television and doinÂ' it on the radio
What we did was to help our generation realize
They had to get out there and get busy cause it wasnÂ't gonna be televised
We got respect for you rappers and the way they be free-weighinÂ'
But if youÂ're gonÂ' be teachinÂ' folks things,
make sure you know what youÂ're sayinÂ'
Older folks in our neighborhood got plenty of know-how
Remember if it wasnÂ't for them, you wouldnÂ't be out here now
And I ainÂ't cominÂ' at you with no disrespect
All IÂ'm sayinÂ' is that you damn well got to be correct
Because if youÂ're gonna be speakinÂ' for a whole generation
And you know enough to try and handle their education
Make sure you know the real deal about past situations
It ainÂ't just repeatinÂ' what you heard on the local TV stations
Â…Sometimes they tell lies and put Â'em in a truthful disguise
But the truth is thatÂ's why we said it wouldnÂ't be televised
They donÂ't know what to say to our young folks, but they know that you do
And if they really knew the truthÂ…why would they tell you?
The first sign is peace, tell all them gun totinÂ' young brothas
That the man is glad to see us out there killinÂ' one another
We raised too much hell when they was shootinÂ' us down
So they started poisoning our minds tryinÂ' to jerk us all around
And they tell us they got to come in and control our situation
They want half of us on dope and the other half in incarceration
If the ones they want dead ainÂ't killed by what they instigated
They put some dope on a brothaÂ's body and claim it was drug related
Tell them drug related means there donÂ't need to be no investigation
Or at least thatÂ's the way theyÂ're gonÂ' play it on the local TV stations
All your 9-millimeter brothasÂ…give them somthinÂ' to think about
Tell them you heard that this is the new word,
they got to work that stuff out
But somehow they feel in the wrong way with a gun in their hands
They feel real independentÂ…but they just pullinÂ' contracts for the man
Five and five will tell you itÂ's hopeless out there on the avenue
But if they really knew the truthÂ…why would they tell you?
And if they look at you like youÂ're insane
And they start callinÂ' you scarecrow and say you ainÂ't got no brain
Or start tellinÂ' folks that you suddenly gone lame
Or that white folks had finally co-opted your game
Or worse yet implying that you donÂ't really knowÂ…
ThatÂ's the same thing they said about usÂ…a long time ago
Young rappers, one more suggestion before I get out of your way
But I appreciate the respect you give me and what you got to say
IÂ'm sayinÂ' protect your community and spread that respect around
Tell brothas and sistas they gotta calm that bullshit down
Cause weÂ're terrorizinÂ' our old folks and brought fear into our homes
And they ainÂ't got to hang out with the senior citizens
Just tell them, Â"DammitÂ…leave the old folks aloneÂ"
And we know who rippinÂ' off the neighborhood,
tell them, Â"That BS has got to stop!Â"
Tell them youÂ're sorry they canÂ't handle it out there
But they got to take the crime off the block
And if they look at you like youÂ're insane
And they start callinÂ' you scarecrow and say you ainÂ't got no brain
Or start tellinÂ' folks that you suddenly gone lame
Or that white folks had finally co-opted your game
Or worse yet saying that you really donÂ't knowÂ…
ThatÂ's the same thing they said about me a long time ago
And if they tell folks that you finally lost your nerve
ThatÂ's the same thing they said about us, when we said, Â"JohannesburgÂ"
But I think the young folks need to know, that things donÂ't go both ways
You canÂ't talk respect of every other song or just every other day
What IÂ'm speakinÂ' on now is the raps about the women folks
On one song sheÂ's your African Queen on the next one sheÂ's a joke
And you ainÂ't said no words that I havenÂ't heard,
but that ainÂ't no compliment
It only insults eight people out of ten and questions your intelligence
Four letter words or four syllable words wonÂ't make you important
ItÂ'll only magnify how shallow you are and let everybody know it
And if they look at you like they think you insane
Or they call you scarecrow thinkinÂ' you ainÂ't got no brain
Or start tellinÂ' folks that you suddenly gone lame
Or that white folks have finally co-opted your game
Or you really donÂ't knowÂ…They said that about me a long time ago
If they finally start to tell people that you lost your nerve
ThatÂ's what they said about Johannesburg
You ainÂ't insaneÂ…you have got a brain
You havenÂ't gone lame; you have got your game
RememberÂ…keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
Â…IÂ'm talkinÂ' about peace