Askari X Oakland Streets
[Chorus: sung by Askari X]
When it was Summer time
Hot in the Oakland Streets,
Man, I wished it would rain
but the sun kept shining on me (kept shining on me)
But brother, when the Winter came
Along with the storms and the wind
I couldn't wait for that sun to shine
Down on me again
[Verse 1]
I know your mama never said that there'd be days like this
I watched my brother play the game, he swung the bat and missed
Three timing on block, the police jacked the man for selling yea
25 to life, the brother had a baby on the way
He told the judge, "I couldn't get a job; and if I did,
$4.75 an hour ain't enough to feed my kid"
Seems like a plot to keep me trapped inside a ghetto maze
And it's a trip, a liquor store on every corner
Buy some drank, take a sip
Get to slipping down memory lane, talkin about way back
when a nickel bag of thai'd get me high
[Lady sings]
Super high super high
[Chorus: sung by Askari X]
That's when I was a teenage child
I didn't have to pay no rent
Mama always cooked my food
Didn't worry how my money was spent
When I became a man
I began to understand
Why "My papa was a rolling stone"
By the time, had to slow his roll
[verse 2]
Yea, but even then brothers used to die, hustling to get they skrilla
On the for real-la, the police used to kill a
black man, jack him for nothing, beat him down like Rodney King
Ain't nothing changed since the 60's
Dig what I mean: a smile is a frown turned upside down
It's 1969, turned the right way around
The Yin and the Yang don't pay no gang, and that's the truth
If the Yang take the tears, it won't make it through the years
[Chorus: sung by Askari X]
It's revolution time
We've got to set our people free
Some of you are going to lose your life
Fighting for your children and your wives
So you better try to fill their minds
With the teachings of Allah, from Elijah.
Cause when the smoke clear, I'll be here
But if you don't, you'll be fuel for the fire
[verse 3]
Never judge a book by the cover, you study long, you study wrong
You lag in the game, you lose your life
You made your bed, now say goodnight
Piggly Wiggly, cause we've been watching you for a long time
The way you Beauregarde in your police cars
Riding through my city
AsKari X is born and raised in the Oakland streets
Watching my mama's baby daddy jack for bread and meat
Two in degree on that other level, that game was fed to me
But I aimed that negative energy at the enemy
When I get the urge to kill a sleepy sucka,
I buck a cracker, in the back of his dome, his skull shattered
The gray matter they call brains splattered
up against the wall, the rest oozed out his head on the gooch
I took his skrilla, I left him dead as I fled the 7 deuce
The righteous black gorillas was in the session
That's when I was moved to kick this lesson
[Chorus: sung by Askari X]
When it was Summer time
Hot in the Oakland Streets, (hot in the Oakland Streets)
Man, I wished it would rain, but the sun kept shining on me
But brother, when the Winter came
Along with the storms and the wind
I couldn't wait for that sun to shine
Down on me again
[singing lady improves until fade]
