The Pride

[Intro]
Yeah, reminiscent of another time
And another state of mind

[Verse 1]
I used to flow, they used to call me a rhyme animal
Some of them don't call me no mo'
So, I try a new style refuse to get wild
On the B-side because I still got my pride
The pride comes from another time
My father and mother plus God blessed the rhyme
Born in 1960, '70 suckers quizzing me
"What was it like before everybody tried to be like Mike?"
Back in the day when our peeps had to fight for our rights
To make the day feel aight
But there is no is without a was
No about to be, buts, or because I got the pride

[Hook]

[Interlude]
Reminiscent of another time
Dashikis, bells, to straight legs
Platforms and picks
See it wasn't just about the fro
It was what was underneath that fro
Black power for the powerless
Deuce and quarters, caddies 442's
Yeah, pride

[Verse 2]
Say it loud
James singing, "Black and I'm Proud"
I was in third grade when Dr. King got slain
And if I had to read a book about the facts
The fact is that the black would be overlooked, look
1967, I was seven, living proof
Of what I had learned in my youth
What a difference a score and a decade makes
Mistakes and Superbad breaks, wait
I ate the food in the lunch programs
And now I see the young strung out on grams
So I work on a go on and so on and soon communicate
To teach the young straight 'cause I got the pride

[Hook]

[Interlude]
Flamboyant names
Free Huey, Eldridge, Bobby, Angela
Woodstock to Kent State
The music of the time for the mind
45's, Aretha, Four Tops
Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes
Assassinations Presidents
Nothing but 60's soul

[Interlude]
Now in order for us to know who we are
We got to know who we was
And once we know who we was
Then we know who we're gonna be
Pride

[Verse 3]
The Panther Party before "La Di Da Di"
Put pride inside plus taught karate
Fed heads in many ways, many days
We're served locked down protecting the Black and the Brown
Now today the old must spread it, I said it
If they don't communicate, then you can't get it
Problems have to be solved they won't go away so man what
You say and don't sway
Gotta get that pride

[Hook]

[Outro]
Dr. King, Malcolm, Medgar, Hampton
Riots and rebellions
Newark, Watts, Uptown
Harlem that is, black gold
Ghetto stell
I reserve the right to be nothing but a man
We reserve the right to be nothing but men and women