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Skinny cat, young cat, with a knapsack strapped to my back
1981 before the crack attack I used to let the Old English 800 suds bubble
In the last car of the Franklin Avenue shuttle
Brooklyn, no doubt, Wingate Park, no doubt Prospect Park I'm all laid out
Homeless, my gear played out and I know this But I'm an MC I stay focused
I took the shuttle to the D and wrote my rhymes in a hour
Took the D to the E, last stop the Twin Towers Sittin' in the belly of the beast
In the World Trade Organization, bein' harassed by police
I wrote my rhymes right there on the spot New York City, 1984 corruption was hot
Cats sellin' ***'s out the Jacob Javits Center for a high price
Let me tell you 'bout my life
The type of *** a young black man Gotta go through every day of his life
Hard times to live in, wake up in the morning Thank God
The type of *** a young black man Gotta go through every day of his life
Hard times to live in, wake up in the morning (Now it's my turn, listen)
Eighty-five comes in, eighty-six comes in The marijuana with the *** mix comes in
High class hustlers, I'm takin' flicks with them
My first song's Red Alert, he's mixin' them
This a far cry from a kid sleepin' on the bench
Now I'm V.I.P. in the club, this don't make sense
But it does, as I take daps and hugs From cats that move drugs, they say, "Kris
rise above"
Everybody knew my style, Kris was no coward I wanted to get in the game but my peeps wouldn't
allow it They'd say, "Read them books and write them
hooks Save our children, give 'em a whole new outlook"
So I did, I lived like any street kid But I was handed 20 books, others were handed
20 year bids Still they wouldn't sell to your mother or
your wife There was respect man, let me tell you 'bout
my life
The type of *** a young black man Gotta go through every day of his life
Hard times to live in, wake up in the morning Thank God
The type of *** a young black man Gotta go through every day of his life
Hard times to live in, wake up in the morning (Now it's my turn, listen)
1987 my career blowin' up now Me and Scott LaRock took the year growin'
up now Me I'm just a private cat, whatever you perceive
as live KRS is as live as that
We the livest act, in eighty-eight, eighty-nine and ninety now
But them years be far behind me now In ninety-one, no one can find me now
I chose the underground to rhyme where it's grimy, wow
Rewind me now, 13 albums for you to see Or catch me speakin' at them universities
My mind stays keen, I'm hardly ever seen I do a lot of work, just not in the mainstream
Know what you need to learn Old school artists don't always burn
Know what you need to learn KRS-One, don't always burn