1300 Canal St.

Yo
I'm a do this in one take
Keep it all

I put my life in my raps
Testify with my hand on the Bible in fact
We had to fight for a chance
Our only hope was the light through the cracks
'Cause otherwise it was very dim
If I was scared to die, I'd be scared to live
Escorted to paradise by the seraphim
They threw me in that lake, I could barely swim
This is the truest shit I ever dared to spit
The truth is, music is my therapist
If the shoe fits, you should be wearin' it
You couldn't take a step in mine; find a pair that fit
This is my cross to bear so I carry it
Till it becomes the pine box that I'm buried in
I inherited this pain. So I'm sharin' it
I was four years old when my parents split
Yeah, that that was my earliest memory
Honestly, I have trouble remembering
Anything as a kid that's a happy thought
All I had was rap and basketball
But I remember my dad takin' me
See, I was kidnapped basically
I sat in the van waitin', he
Was on the phone at the gas station, screamin'
At my mama. Now I'm re-livin' the trauma
Of a childhood filled with demons and drama
I had no one to lead or to follow
So I marched to the beat of a hollow
55 gallon drum on Canal Street
I cut the rim off and nailed it to a damn tree
That was my hoop. The dirt was my court, fam
Ballin' in second-hand dirty Jordache
Rim so low, I'd feel tall with my short ass
Didn't have a real ball, couldn't afford that
Got a cheap one from Save-a-Lot again
The last one I had, ended up poppin' it
I would freestyle while I was lobbin' bricks
Every time I would take a shot and miss
I would just pretend that I was blockin' it
Wanted to be Dennis Rodman or David Robinson
Now I'm Pac again. Goin back and forth
Between rap and sports. Once I realized
I'd never have the chance to score like Magic or
Soar like Jordan, of course I started rappin more
I used to wake up before the sun came up
Watch A Different World, eat, and lace up
My DaDa Supremes. Hit the court for
A few hours at least. Never got any better
But I would feel free, and I would be sore
June 15th, 2004
The greatest day of my life until my child was born
I created a life, but my smile was worn
I was elated with pride. But at the same time my strengths
were outweighed by my plight. I was in a dark place
Found my way to the light. And I prayed every night
Anxious and blind, the pain always stayed on my mind
I channeled it into this music, had a dream and a vision
Never needed permission. You could see the commitment
I caught a wave in a sea of affliction
I lost my faith, I just needed conviction
We were raised in egregious conditions
We were born with predispositions
For alcoholism and evil addiction
But it's not a disease, it's a symptom
Daddy was an alcoholic
He kicked the habit when I went off to college
It left me wondering if he drank because of me
I was a handful when I was a teen
But I'm so proud of him and bro and sis too
They both kicked drugs and that's a big move
You gotta kill that shit before it kills you
'Cause the reaper don't take IOUs when the bill's due
I don't even wanna know what they went through
That led to the drug use and the spent youth
See, their dad was a drunk just like my father
But he was a different type of monster
One time I found a knife inside his car
That night he came inside with the knife behind his arm
I never knew him to have bite behind his bark
But I was afraid for the lives he'd try to harm
He was looking for my brother while he threatened us
I think he wanted to kill his own flesh and blood
I guess that's just what this infection does
It affects and spreads to everyone you love
Quite often mom would take me to McDonald's
When the fights stopped 'n get me a Happy Meal
How ironic. All I wanted
Was a hockey stick. So she ran out and got me it
And my friends said what a spoiled ass kid
But they didn't understand we never had shit
And we only did then 'cause she got her taxes
Never had a plasma screen, but we got a trampoline
A soccer ball and a basketball hoop
We even got a real basketball too
And that was the best summer that I ever had
I like to think about it if I'm ever sad

And for some reason, it makes me sadder