Myhood, U.S.A., 1937 - Sho Baraka, Amisho Baraka Lewis

Yo, um

Just yeah just run it back to the top

'cause I’m probably just

Imma do something different

I-I got a story, it’s not, well it-it's a story, it’s a love story

It’s not your typical type of love story though

But just listen

Once upon a time but not long ago

Before the Civil Rights Movement and the new Jim Crow

Sit back, I’ll introduce you to a wonderful place

In every state called 'Myhood USA'

Life wasn’t perfect, but they did what they could

And people took pride in their neighborhood

They had doctors, and lawyers

Artists, barbers, and teachers

Entrepreneurs, politicians, and preachers

Stable universities, sports leagues and banks

You invest and trade here 'cause in other places you can’t

Black owned, from the cradle to the coffin

Before the NBA we had a history of ballin'

Durham, Greenwood, Atlanta, sweet Auburn, Quakertown

And third ward Houston, but here’s a caution

Why they wanted their turn, and just earn and make a living

Some just wanted them to burn, baby burn

It was vicious

If the city wasn’t consumed by unexplained flames

It would eventually change due to imminent domain

How can you own a home if you can’t get a loan

And the powers that be just red line your zone?

The government wants your value to drop

So then the private investors come through and buy up your spot

You can’t win fighting the government and KKK

Plus intergration hit my hood in a curious way

Blacks move to the 'burbs tryna escape the system

But they took stability and wealth right along with 'em

Their ownership and financial stimulation

It makes it much easier for gentrification

We ain’t building jobs to build schools to build wisdom

But instead we build debt so they build more prisons

A few taxpayers, they make money off policing

Fines and tickets, I’m getting searched for no reason

Police are underpaid but they are making a killing

Compound that with the crack epidemic

But now we got dope fiends, shootin' dope

Who don’t know the meaning of Harvard nor hope

Howard or Praire View even at Tuskegee

Morehouse next to the poor house

Baby we leaving for the American dream

It’s in the 'burbs now

Opportunities in my hood get turned down

Community service groups, they turn into gangs

They hammer us with bad aim, they banging on everything

So now my friend on the next street becomes my enemy

No job to distract us, 'cause we ain’t got an industry

All we got is liquor stores next to a Burger King

Next to a pawn shop, next to a Dairy Queen

Next to the China shop, next to the gas station

Next to the five churches, next to the building that’s vacant

Most of the businesses owned by the Asians

So the money never stays in the same location

This is the truth, this ain’t hating

If the church can’t change it then who should we place faith in?

Some blame welfare, some blame the music

Some blame the dealer, some blame the user

Turn on the news, let’s figure out who we blaming

Many benefit off my hood from not changing

Exploiting my culture, they aiding and abetting and it’s the black stock

exchange

They buying, and they selling

These generations of self hate and psychosis

In my hood it’s almost innate to feel hopeless

Predatory lending and banking in my hood

We ain’t creating wealth, we just importing goods

But a change gon' come is what I tell the youngsters

This is a love song, I like to call it justice

I wish words could really tell you how I feel

But words are only really noise until

They come to life

I know you try

This is not another love song

One time, hey young world

Love is yours, hey young world

Cause love is yours young world

Young world

Or my hey young world

This love is yours, hey young world

This love is yours young world

This love is yours young world

Share the love

I wish words could really tell you how I feel

But words are only really noise until

They come to life

I know you try

This is not another love song