The Finale

I’m climbing over these broken down walls I’m watchin as new roads Are being built to new prisons Schools doors are closing Cells are opening You’re standing there with a long blank stare Wonderin why We’re fightin for tomorrow And livin for today Why we’re standing here Fightin for change We need YOU My soldiers of the revolution Don’t be discouraged We’re not fightin for nothing Its nation wide change Everyday, I wake up to the same old story Holdin my books, Walkin to school Metal detectors Awaiting me to do my run through “Put the bag down” “Place it through the scanner” “Now take a step forward” Yep This is the Downgrading Juvenile Incriminating Story of my life 3 green, 1 red Uh-oh, uh-oh Time to get scanned Damn, I got the cops in schools Cops in the streets When will I ever get peace See, I remember the days When we walked the halls without fear With out fear if Today was the day that an SSA Would slap on the cuffs And permanently keep me in the police scene The men in blue The biggest gang in this city Is the NYPD Lockin us up left and right Sentences that last until the end of time While half the time Punishments don’t fit the crime We’re beaten with batons We’re shot at with guns And I can’t express my right to bare arms So I have to fight with bare palms Forced to take the load Forced to take the blows If po’po don’t make their quote of the day We’re turned around Kicked in the ass And told to have a nice day We’re forced to be protected by the ones we hate Forced to be inferior like dogs in a cage If you open up your eyes And take a good look Soon you’ll come to see That we’re prisoners and fugitives of the state As if it ain’t enough That we livin in a world that hates, That belittles, In a world that Separates race from race Now we gotta think about Losin our hood, The block, Our culture To these gringos who can afford more We suffer with high rent as it is Only to deal with Rats, roaches, and other infestations And now that everythings chanin We’re booted out Cause we don’t meet their expectations You say the neighborhoods are comin up They’re getting betta But do you understand The man’s great master plan How many of us our middle class How many of us will grovel Become beggers in the street Because the rent goes up and, Mommy and daddy can’t make ends meet Did you actually think That we were here to stay? That we would be given a chance To my fallen revolutionaries To my revolutionary Brothers and sisters in this room This is why we fight, This is why we’re standin here Breakin our backs for change It’s time to take a stand and say “No longer will the black, The brown, The oppressed Continue to take the blame Every time a kid goes postal in the suburbs” “No longer will we pay the price For their past mistakes” “No longer will we allow To a means of entertainment” “No longer will we allow This epidemic to continue, It’s over, It end here, It ends now”