Self Mastery

Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically
Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically

Let's go way back a little over two score
Around four
He started boosting goods from the corner store
Not super poor, but always felt he needed more
And at his crib nobody's paying for chores
Door to door sales, free papers from the laundromat
Age thirteen schemes for green he into all of that
An older cat, noticed his swagger
And knew from a family shattered
Abused and battered
Hit him with ten bags, half back, pockets fatter
Now in his life only a few things mattered
Loyalty to those to whom he respected
Stacking chips and catching mad wreck kid
But his self-control he neglected
By the greed disease his soul became infected
Now front and center, direct and live
Search warrant executed, boy facing two to five

Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically
Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically

Now he's back on the bricks everything's spectacular
Making gwap at the Barbershop, top bachelor
Flipping through them hoe cakes, magical spatula
Would you like some cream Miss Café Arabica?
But she had dreams of a different type of cream, pericho, ya-yo
He hit the big homie up, a yo
Copped himself a hizzy
Her friends looking for a bizzy
Awww shizzy
Now he's back on the grizzly
At the bar flashing around hundreds and fifty's
Her ex-man scheming, yo his jewels look nifty
Its not all fun and games here in Kiddy City
These kangaroos will hop out on your ass get real gritty
Watch out
Oh what a pity
Tied him up, stabbed him up, commenced to pistol whipping
Now his bling is all gone and only blood dripping
She got ten stacks for tipping
Set tripping
Now back at their lab sipping and sniffing

Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically
Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically

Now it's twenty-twenty something ain't a damn thing changed
Except for the characters and the street names
Tired of trying to chase the street fame
Scheming dames
Homies going against the grain
Everybody's cut off, he's switching lanes
Time to slow down, and pull up the reigns
Use his brains
Self-control he now gained
One common truth through everything remains
There's always two choices
Two voices
Devilish agony, angelical rejoices
Now daily he reflects, poises
Learned to block out all the subliminal noises
Knowledge of self, he knows what the ploy is
Wisdom and health, now where his joy is
Body, mind, soul, rising, transcending
The beauty of this tale is that there really is no ending

Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically
Here's a little story that must be told
All that glitters not gold
You better learn some self-mastery
If you don't things could end very tragically