Tenses

Tenses

Lbena T-Michael 

Throwback to the days -  

I was rich back then. 

I didn’t have a dollar, 

but I made cents/sense back when.

My problems were like weeds -

No root or stem. 

And niggas hit me up wondering how I’ve been…

And if they’re asking honestly,

I’ll hit back,

I’ll hit send -  

I hit the blunt, wondering when the world’s gonna end.

The strong paranoia in my mind is akin 

to the fear we have because of the colour of our skin. 

Throwback to the days -

You were loud back then. 

It was so loud, but you never made a sound back when -

fame knew your name 

but I couldn’t say the same about your brain -

Because ego is the biggest downfall of men. 

I’m too young to preach,

but now and then -

I look at my “role models” 

with the whitest of skin. 

And I ain’t racist but, shit, nigga, you can’t pretend 

that a nigga like me can relate to niggas like them.

So growing up, it felt like I was caught between -

Wanting to be like how they portray us up on the screen. 

Or conform to what is generally perceived to be -

Righteous, or whatever falls in between. 

Because niggas are only worth half of what they bleed.

Nowadays, you have to double-check what you proofread. 

Double-check, my name’s not under the American Dream -   

Autocorrect, the shit ain't up to speed.