"I was born.."

[Big Daddy Kane]
A black man from the motherland
Speakin a language today most people don t understand
where no one could bother me
cause I had freedomjusticeand equality
But then one day it was tooken away
and I was shipped to the U.S.A.
A young brothermade into a slave
to harvest the midlands and clean the chittlins
Given a new namenew religion
No freedom to votenot even to make a decision
I saw my peoplessold raped and took out
The rest of that stuff that Alex Haley talks about
They said I m not from Asia I m from Africa
And all the blacks there now are just scavengers
That s the way my mind was poisoned
to believe that in America blacks are inferior
A weak mind and a body of swine
only adds up to being - deaf dumb and blind
Illiterate to who where what and why
So I ask myself: who am I?

"I was born.."

[Big Daddy Kane]
A native New Yorker on the streets
Known for rockin rhymes to real rough beats
that I found in the atticnoisy with static
A sound that made mea hip-hop fanatic
I made a few songs that sold OK
Never top 20 or plenty airplay
I came out hardcoreflexin cock diesel
Saw a little cashand pop goes the weasel
I had to make that change and rearrange
my whole rap formatno hardcore rap
So now all the pop charts I rule
over New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdulhuh
I thought I made itthen my song faded
and none of the black stations ever have played it
I tried to blame it on MTV
and say"Damnthey cold played me for Young MC"
But when you get down to itI m the real blame
because I wanted the fame
Money is not only the root of all evil
It s also the destruction of black peopleso
conjunction junctionwhat s your function?
Bein a scoutor sellin out?
Look in the mirror at yourselfeye to eye
and say: who am I?

[Gamilah Shabazz]
A solid changehave to rearrange this strange
feelin I m feelinso appealin
I am having to deal with
Time to forget the mythof bein black and a woman
Can t get aheadwalkin on a threada tightrope
Can t copedon t be a dopehave a little bit of hope
Runnin your scope on affairs
You have to be awaredon t flare up
Let your cup runneth over
I m not Irishdon t need a donut to fill up my dish
nor two mango wish to wish on a starthey re so far
Anyway I m thinkin about todaynot tomorrow
I m not a follower of anyone
My time has comeit s already here
My message is clear
Like the women of long agoI am also here
also to showI have the courage
Have the strengthI m for equal opportunity
no matter the lifelength of time
Show me a signshould I rely on a
subliminal messageshould I question
what would seem to belife s told me?
Yes indeedso let me speak

[Big Daddy Kane]
And that s comin from the daughter of Malcolm X
So black women put it in your texts
so you can never letopportunity pass you by
or even ask yourselfwho am I?

- Back to the Songs of the Album Taste Of Chocolate

- Back to the Big Daddy Kane's Albums