Young World

When you see me, see you, young world, young world
It's all up to you, young world, young world
Always be true young world, young world
That's all we can do young world, that's all we can do
If you let them tell it would of never made it this far
Yea you let them tell it would of had to find a new job
I consider it a blessing thank God that I know God
And every failure that's a lesson go down or you go hard

Yea yea and I ain't had no problem making it this far
Many told me keep your head up and stay prayed up try loving from a distance
Using it as a big sign we just taking a risk now
Let it sink in like quick sand and let it keep you at keeping on
We ain't never had the silver spoon but they ain't steer me wrong
We ain't never had fear of failure but it's in the songs
We ain't saying never but did things they say we never do
You know how I feel about time and my shits just ahead of schedule
Just be prominent, stay dominant, if you said it then honor it
Keeping peace while I'm pondering, I just preach it and prosper it
Set the bar and I'm climbing it, don't show the way I'm finding it
Free the people that's lost in it, more to it than being talented
Quality over quantity, confidence over modesty
If you got it then show that shit can't hide it if it's evident
We just reaping the benefits, we just teaching the have nots
And keeping up with the times that we didn't know we would be here

So what do you believe young world?
I would rather fight for something than die for nothing
Who do you choose to be young world?
Yea this song is just for you, born in 92, young world, young world, young world
It's all up to you, young world, young world
Always be true young world, young world
Its all we can do young world, it's all we can do, it's all we can do

My name is Tony Lewis Jr. When I was 9 years old, my father got arrested for his role in the biggest drug conspiracy in the history of Washington D.C. He will subsequently receive a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
That was 1989, I've been without my father for 27 years of my life.
We live in a country that, that's had this system of mass incarceration of taking fathers away from their children.
And when your father goes to prison,
They tell you that your father's a bad guy.
Your father may be on the news.
They talk about him in the hood.
They talk about him in your household.
You know the love that you felt when that person was there,
You know the fun that y'all had.
You know what they did for you and in many ways what they did for you and what they tried to do to take care of you led them to prison.
In this country where our neighborhoods avoid opportunity,
People try to get it the best way they know how.
Men, right, with a divine responsibility to provide and protect for their families and they pay the ultimate price sometimes which is incarceration. For every kid with an incarcerated parent, you should know your parent loves you and they're in prison they're dreaming for you.
They're wishing you're better than them.
So honor them in that way. Be that.
Worst thing you can do is follow in their footsteps.
So my advice to you is, again, live out your dreams,
Be better and don't get taken young world