The Martyrs

Yeah, man I wanna talk to Martin Luther King’s father
Or one of Malcolm X’s daughters, while pushin' the dream farther
Wonder if they saw the martyrs
A manifestation of death, and we know for sure that Red saw it comin'
Still spoke, I woulda got to runnin'
Braver man than I… to be the face of your entire race
Same race you runnin' while they gunnin', dictatin' the pace
And the powers that be, of the same skin color want you dead
Imagine that, counterproductive like runnin' in place
I’m bringin' this up, 'cause the youngins don’t read enough
And i’m bugggin' that mean they stuck n a cycle of cleanin' up
From previous generations and the prejudice that’s still around
How the hell you so far off the ball but yet you still in bounds
We constantly locked in the dark, I feel around
For that light switch, since 1950 a million drowned
White chicks screamin' rape, and a teenager got popped in his back
But somehow that death sentence still a debate
I’m never participatin' in the politics from here forth
Just empowerin' executives tweetin' from clearports
About how they so different from they predecessors, like
They went left, but look we out here takin' several rights
I done read my rights, so niggas can’t Miranda me
Under the canopy, trees of knowledge, just tryna plant my seed
The Virgin Mary’s mammaries, distractin' me
Cut niggas off at the knees, all the back stabbin' I can’t believe
So die while they love you, (or live long enough)
To see yourself become the villain, (you think you strong enough)
To withstand, foes suck you in like quicksand
Thank God, I’m tall enough, and if a nigga die I’m fallin' up (2x)
Shoutout to 2Pac Shakur nigga
Sure he made some bad moves, but I bet the motives pure nigga
Showed me what emotion can do… when you seen so many people struggle
Through them long nights, just to wake up, in the morning to
Unpaid bills, or mislaid deals and shady situations
You facin' as that nigga wit aspirations
To get beyond the skirt chasin', movin' free basin' ways
Of compadres, they whole life stuck on the basic, face it
It’s findin' somethin' outside yo clique or set
That’s worth dyin' for, put the work in and you get finesse
Me… I got a knack for makin' words picturesque
N lightin' minds up, until niggas blind like discoteques
But what does that really mean tho…
I got a roof over my head and plenty clean clothes
So I guess I’m straight then
Outspoken since I was a toddler up in my playpen
It’s amazin', 'cause a nigga been ready to die since age 10
So when you blast this song
Keep in mind that you wasn’t supposed to last this long
I bet you thinkin' you different n you man enough
Think you standin' up, but you just layin' in yo casket wrong, uh
Got Emmett Till in my thoughts when
These white women advance to touch these black hands it’s exhaustin'
In the bright lights skin darkens, pardon harshness
'cause a couple hundred years back
This melanin in my skin woulda been done had me auctioned
Some say I’m talkin' too often, bout civil rights era incidents
Whether its four Black girls in that church, or Trayvon they all innocent
And in a sense y’all right about all that talkin' so, I put my problems on music
My purpose right where these words is, not an obligation I choose it
Fallin' Up