Honesty of Men

Look here, man.

I ain’t nothing but another dude

who ain’t got shit to lose.

My conscience is troubled enough.

I have a story to tell you, I am coming clean.

Girl, listen to me.

Look me in the eye.

Quit seein’ me as another hood dude—

or a bum with no job.

How about a fiend who looks for

the cheapest and strongest high?

Listen, I rob people because

growing up, I never had things.

I was jealous of the other kids b’cuz

they had so much more than me.

I wanted a new pair of Nikes.

I wanted a handheld game.

I wanted a North Face bookbag.

I wanted a cell phone.

So, guess what?

If I couldn’t have it—

nobody could.

That is why I started swiping.

Momma never bought me anything.

All she did was take that money which

should have been used to get my Christmas gifts

and smoked it all up.

My father was never there.

I never even knew him.

All I ever saw was desperation in these streets.

I’ve seen grown men crap they pants and cry

as they got beat down and had

pistols placed into their mouths amid stickups.

All my homies are either dead or rotting in a cell.

I got nobody cheerin’ in my corner.

I never learned arithmetic or how

to play an instrument.

I was taught to roll blunts

Push weight, and load up .45’s.

Basketball and football? Nah.

You could catch me doing scrimmages

on the court by making those pipsqueaks

run their belongings.

Nobody taught me how to love a woman—

I was just lookin’ for a release.

Momma wanted an abortion.

I have made many mistakes in life.

At least I have enough decency to acknowledge them.

I wanna be better.

I’m just bein’ honest.