Rap by Emmanuel Ford

Lets take a ride down memory lane
Where sometimes memories fade
But everlasting memories stay...
Remember things like a bleach stain
Will never go away.
Hard times brought me here today.
It starts when the docs
Cut my umbilical chord
I am born yes Emmanuel Ford into the world.
But at a instant this baby infant
Was born drug addicted and given into the system.
Birthed into ignorance my mother was ignorant -
Facing that cold world without a coat will you have you shivering.
But I’m thinking was it my mom’s fault?
Or do I blame the hustlers going back selling crack to my black mom?
Man it was a blessing
Never knew Jesus but believe me that pipe was her best friend.
Now white rock was nothing to mess with
One hit and you’re high as a kite for a couple of seconds
But when you came down that’s when you get the message:
You’re alone without a home and your kids done left you,
Asking yourself, stressing, what are you going to do next?
You either stop or get ready for death.
Then eventually that’s the event that you’re placed in
Dead or in jail are the choices that you’re faced with so let’s pick.
My mom stopped, but not fast enough.
Man it was rough when I was living with my Grandmama.
That’s when my journey begins growing up a sweet kid.
Lord forgive my mother for she sinned.
My family was poor no shampoo for my living conditions
No big house no pool to dip in
No going out in nice groups to whip in
Nor stepping out in nice shoes to slip in
No vacation boat cruise to the Caribbean -
Just paper bags that dudes were bringing liquor in,
Asking for a shot “let the little dude get a sip”
Rolling big blunts my uncle’s lighting spliffs again in front of me
and I ain’t even hit the age of ten.
Man, I barely had food in the kitchen.
When eating cereal, don’t bother -
had to eat my Frosted Flakes just with cold water.
Just picture a young man growing up with no father
Nobody had a job so my fam was no smarter.
My big brother rapped
He is trying to reach stardom
He’s trying to get a deal spittin’ lyrics which would be our meal ticket,
All of the time on the grind, it was hard but he would deal wit' it.
But he was inexperienced in the music business
So I kept out of the business
Rollin in my big wheel, rollin’ down big hills chillin’.
It didn’t stop there, cockroaches in the cupboard
And lowkey rodents rats sleeping in my covers
See growing up in the slums was nothing real nice
But I’m realer than real, spitting that real life.
I sit and reminisce through a flow
So I just told you bout the life that I used to know.