4 - Dissertation [Part 1: The Introduction]

Intro [Yes, yes And so the journey begins You know how it feels And I’m pretty sure you understand, too… Yeah… Ha! Good looking out, Truth! I finally made my move And I figured I’d give you an update On where I’m at right now.] [MALCOLM X (as portrayed by Denzel Washington): “What would you call an educated Negro with a BA, or an MA, or a BS or a PhD? I’ll tell you. You call him a Nigger! That’s what.”] [Verse 1: A.D. Carson] They say History is written by the victors So when you see my picture In the book it’ll be consistent with my memory My victories, my tendencies that tempered me and wintered me Cold, like those Chi City winds, ‘cause they’re blistering It’s in my DNA It’s in my bloodline What I do is much deeper than a punchline Where I’m from crime Is the norm Bullets hail—we stay calm amidst the storm I say ‘we’ because When I say ‘me’ it’s us When I say ‘you’ it’s me, too, and vice versa It’s not much that needs to be proven in nice verses Write cursive—scribble out—print it like I meant it My people *closed* minded— Wear it if you fit it Rarely niggas get it. If they did it would be critically acclaimed But still the same A. Dot Still focused on my vision at a rate they not [Hook] Still hoping for some healing from this place I got to And knowing niggas feel it when I say ‘I got you.’ Is enough to keep me cool for the moment School in the mornings Teach in the evenings and be decent No time to sleep in; Just create these Statements like a dissertation for a PhD [“What would you call an educated Negro with a BA, or an MA, or a BS or a PhD? I’ll tell you. You call him a Nigger! That’s what.”] [Verse 2: A.D. Carson] So, I finally made my move to the South, and as I’m moving about I get a better understanding what my roots is about Because my people from here, and though I can’t see ‘em from here They’re reflected in my expressions So you’re hearing ‘em clear They ask me, “Why would leave?” I ask ‘em, “How could I stay And be limited on the shit I have the power to say?” I’m thinking years in the future They’re thinking now and today Like getting showered with flowers Not in the aisle at your grave It’s hard to make it make sense My momma proud as can be But says, “I thought you left before to get a college degree?” And as I tell her, “I did, but I’m going back in the summer.” It kind of makes me wonder what the fuck I’ll do with another It’s nothing more than a question—rhetorical one, at that I mean, the fact is all of this shit started off with a rap And if I’m still doing that I think I’m doing okay If it ain’t complimentary, then you ain’t got shit to say [to me] [Hook] Still hoping for some healing from this place I got to And knowing niggas feel it when I say ‘I got you.’ Is enough to keep me cool for the moment School in the mornings Teach in the evenings and be decent No time to sleep in; Just create these Statements like a dissertation for a PhD [“What would you call an educated Negro with a BA, or an MA, or a BS or a PhD? I’ll tell you. You call him a Nigger! That’s what.”] [Verse 3: A.D. Carson] Because you read it in a book Thought that it was true; Saw it on the television—thought that it was you Self-fulfilling politics get taught to you at school Brolic ‘cause you brought with it a positively rude Mind state. I keep mine like a blind date: I can be objective I can be accepting But I’d rather be selective If I’m not respected I’m the wrong nigga to f’ with If you saw my checklist You knew this was next. It’s Not a matter of simply rapping I really happen to have a strategy being enacted If you know, you know I ain’t afraid of spittin’ What I know is true ‘cause I’m south of the Mason-Dixon If I know the Truth it’s my duty to make revisions; Showing my peoples’ beauty and skewing what They envision I make my living off the things that I think Therefore, I am I’ll give that a minute to sink [in] [Hook] Still hoping for some healing from this place I got to And knowing niggas feel it when I say ‘I got you.’ Is enough to keep me cool for the moment School in the mornings Teach in the evenings and be decent No time to sleep in; Just create these Statements like a dissertation for a PhD [“What would you call an educated Negro with a BA, or an MA, or a BS or a PhD? I’ll tell you. You call him a Nigger! That’s what.”]