When the lights shine off, and it's my turn to settle down, my main concern, promise that you will sing about me, promise that you will sing about me

When the lights shine off, and it's my turn to settle down, my main concern, promise that you will sing about me, promise that you will sing about me

They say that life is a race, well I’m running out of tracks
Record forever spinnin’, needle running out of wax
But I’m one of the be-side, stinger coming out my back
An irregular regular, which means I’m never coming back
Promise you’ll write a rap, for each feather the angel has
A song for each birth, symphony for every laugh
There’s an orchestra in his chest, to catalogue every last
Breathe that my baby had, irrational baby dad
But I rather be crazy than, absent when baby asks
Later when he’s a man, he can see how I chase my past
Slower as I get older in this 50-yard dash
Don’t turn the vehicle over ‘fore I turn into a grand
Parent and that’s plan, when lil’ man has lil’ man
But karma is never late, so a daughter is what’ll have
For the 1st date I stood up and my last one night stand
The universe is humorous but they say that’s just gas

Save a chuckle for granddad
You make the thought of growing old, not as scary as cat scans
Wrinkles and that bag, that replaces the can can
Artichoke the honorable swallow the heart of man
Vommitting these prophecies tryin not to Nostra-dam
Us into self-fulfilling and I hope you understand
Why instead of making the bed, Daddy’s making the band
Son I dream, standing up with a microphone in my hand
Prolly put you through college, and me in an early cask-
It could be the only thing that keeps ya father off the flask
And on the wagon but asking questions before is crashes
I wasn’t made for the office desk and plastic badges
But you could be the baddest, ever to middle manage
A sprocket or the Elroy Jetson of the family
Just want you to settle down where your heart beats the fastest
It figures, I use beats per minute to measure passion
He ask me for toy, and I say use your imagine-
ation cuz it’s the only thing that pays you back with practice

Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, wooooo
When the lights shine off, and it's my turn to settle down, my main concern, promise that you will sing about me, promise that you will sing about me
Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, wooooo

Before Kermit was green, Before Obama was chief
Black Presidents and queens were in my bedtime stories
Me and ma on four knees, please Lord look like me
Cause Mary told you, you could be whatever you want to be

Must be the actress in me
One day I called myself an artist and got paid to make believe
Fabricate a lil bit, Never gave birth to anything
Son, your mama had a baby while your father had a dream
And the more you come true, I tend to believe in me
Now I got a couple students treat me like celebrities
And that’s cool cuz poems got ya ass kicked in ‘93
Back when I was teen, things have changed tremendously
And I don’t know if it’s for them, or if the change has been for me
I used to think I’d save the world on the strength of my beliefs
Like I could Jedi Mind Trick Mother Earth into World Peace
Simple as name change Ron Artest and World B
Free to change the world by one of the three B’s
A Ballot or Bullet or maybe a break beat

So I teach’em nice things
Like how to love the sound of their voice when they sing
Like how to put their words together to be seen
Forget about the start and the end, just be tween
They remind me that I coulda been better, or de-ceased
But I’m exactly were I’m s’posed to be, with these geniuses
And these genes I’m hopin’ to bequeath,
So there’s dominance in him, that was recessive in me
Cause a generation died for the life we scared to lead
I had a grandfather good enough to play negro leagues
Fatherless Man of the House just devoured his dreams
Oldest son he was the one, became the man at 15
And still migrated from the south at teen
With 6 sons & 1 daughter on his family tree
Martyrs ain’t made of poetry or fancy degrees
It’s a different pedigree unseen since the 60s
Since Robert Nesta, Malcolm X, Ghandi & King
Now we get shot just to sell an album these days
A little old to be the next Fred Hampton or Che
But get to teach the future that they got the right to say…

Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, wooooo
When the lights shine off, and it's my turn to settle down, my main concern, promise that you will sing about me, promise that you will sing about me
Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, wooooo

Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, wooooo

Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, Promise that you’ll sing about me my brother, wooooo