Yellow Brick Road

"What we have to do is deal with it when these individuals are young enough, if you will, to be saved, not in a religious sense, but not to constitute what this country at times calls (Yeah) their throwaway children."

"We seem to be approaching (C'mon!) an age of the gross." (*Burp*)

"We all have this idea that we should move up a little bit from our parents' station and each generation should do a little bit better."






All right, come on, let's cut the bullshit, enough

Let's get it started, let's start addressin' this issue, and open it up

Let's take this shit back to the basement and we can discuss

Statements that's made on this tape and its whole origin of

The music that we all know and love, the music we all enjoy

The music you accuse me of tryin' to destroy

Let's rewind it to '89 when I was a boy

On the East Side of Detroit, crossin' 8 Mile into Warren

Into hick territory; I'd like to share a story

This is my story, and can't nobody tell it for me

You have well informed me, I am well-aware

That I don't belong here: you've made that perfectly clear

I get my ass kicked damn near everywhere

From Bel-Aire shopping center just for stoppin' in there

From the black side all the way to the white side

Okay, there's a bright side, a day that I might slide

You may call it a pass, I call it haulin' my ass

Through that patch of grass over them railroad tracks

Oh, them railroad tracks, them old railroad tracks

Them good old notorious so well known tracks






So, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road

As we go on another episode

Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place

That I once used to call home sweet home

Come on, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road

As we go on another episode

Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place

That I once used to call home sweet home






I'd roam the streets so much they called me a drifter

Sometimes I'd stick up a thumb just to hitchhike

Just to get picked up to get me a lift to

8 Mile and Van Dyke or steal a goddamn bike

From somebody's backyard, and drop it off at the park

That was the halfway mark, to meet Kim had to walk

Back to her mama's on Chalmers after dark

To sneak me in the house when I'm kicked out my mom's

That's about the time I first met Proof

With Goofy Gary on the steps at Osborn, handin' out some flyers

We was doin' some talent shows at Center Line High

I told him to stop by and check us out sometime

He looked at me like I'm out my mind

Shook his head, like, "White boys don't know how to rhyme."

I spit out a line and rhymed "birthday" with "first place"

And we both had the same rhymes that sound alike

We was on the same shit, that Big Daddy Kane shit

Where compound syllables sound combined

From that day we was down to ride

Somehow we knew we'd meet again somewhere down the line






So, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road

As we go on another episode

Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place

That I once used to call home sweet home

Come on, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road

As we go on another episode

Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place

That I once used to call home sweet home






My first year in 9th grade, can't forget that day at school

It was cool 'til your man MC Shan came through

He said that Puma's the brand ‘cause the Klan makes Troops

It was rumors, but man, goddamn, they flew

Musta been true, because man, we done banned they shoes

I had the new ones, the Cool J Ice Lamb, suede too

But we just threw 'em in the trash like they yesterday's news

Guess who came through next? X Clan debuted

Professor X (Vanglorious!) "Exist in a state of red

Black and green, with a key, sissies!"

Now with this bein' the new trend, we don't fit in

Crackas is out with Cactus Albums, blackness is in

African symbols and medallions represent Black Power

And we ain't know what it meant, me and my man Howard

And Butter would go to the mall

With 'em all over our necks like we're showin' 'em off

Not knowin' at all we was bein' laughed at

"You ain't even half black! You ain't 'posed to have that

Homie, let me grab that! And that Flavor Flav clock

We gon' have to snatch that!" All I remember is meetin' back at

Manix's basement, sayin' how we hate this

How racist but dope the X Clan's tape is

Which reminds me, back in '89, me

And Kim broke up for the first time; she was tryin' to two-time me

And there was this black girl at our school, who thought I was cool

‘Cause I rapped, so she was kinda eyein' me

And oh the irony, guess what her name was?

Ain't even gonna say it, plus

The same color hair as hers was and blue contacts

And a pair of jugs, the bombest goddamn

Girl in our whole school, if I could pull her, not only would I become

More popular, but I would be able to piss Kim off

At the same time, but it backfired

I was supposed to dump her, but she dumped me for this black guy

And that's the last I ever seen or heard

Or spoke to the "Ole Foolish Pride" girl, but I've heard

People say they heard the tape and it ain't that bad

But it was: I singled out a whole race

And for that I apologize, I was wrong

‘Cause no matter what color a girl is, she's still a—






So, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road

As we go on another episode

Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place

That I once used to call home sweet home

Come on, let's go back, follow the yellow brick road

As we go on another episode

Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place

That I once used to call home sweet home






Fuck out of my house, you fuckin' pieces of shit!

Get the fuck out of my house, you stupid fucker!

You son of a bitch!