My Name is...

My name is… My name is… My name is… My name is… TROUBLE ‘Cause as I walk through the door that’s all you see in me As I walk down the street that’s all you see in me As I speak, you can never see me, because TROUBLE is all that you see in me I am, they are, we are, prescribed as TROUBLE before you greet me And this is why I refuse to meet you My name is… HOPELESS But this is because you never gave me a chance Marked me down Beat me up And belittled me to 3/5 of a man. You refused to claim my humanness and dehumanized my life Set me free Unchain these rusted shackles Your grip is too strong, Your whip still stings. Unchain these rusted shackles Set me free, oh please, dear God, set me free. My name is.., GHETTO because I dance with sassiness flavor comes through vocally talkin' like i ain't got no sense but it's you who drove me there livin in a place where violence never seems to rest and no one understands respect but that ain't me... Excuse me,I'm sorry I mean that isn't me you see you caught me slippin' but around you that isn't hard to do just let me tell you think before you speak because your assumptions are not always me My name is… NIGGER Sssshhhhhhhh. Please don’t hush now or move softer than before My slamming deserves more than some uproar Behind locked doors and covered in white sheets I know this is what you call me Come out in the light Come to where we can see you Hide no longer, The gig is up kid I am not offend We stand strong If nigger is what you want me to be, I’ll be the best one you have ever seen I’ll play your game, but never believe in it I’ll kill you with smiles Undermine you with yeses And agree with you to death and destruction Like those before us, Those 6 million and more… We’ll rise, oh yes We’ll rise My name is… HOODLUM You placed me in there, Claimed that this is where I belonged, But if I call out for help you look past ‘cause you say that I’m just robbing hoods. I am not misguided, And I did not ask to be there, Through your policies and political tactics I am here I read just like you I speak just like you I write just like you do So before you see me walking out of RVC, Don’t judge me before you get to know me, We had no chance in this race So we pray, sit, and sing amazing grace With hopes that the sweetest sounds would bless us, Provide us with hope. ‘Cause you said that we would never deserve a chance but the fact is that not all of our fathers sell dope Her name is… ALYSA THOMAS Not Alisha, or Alyssa or Alicia Just Alysa, spelled A.L.Y.S.A Love her, hate her, play her, forget her, It doesn’t matter Just at least understand how to pronounce HER NAME His name is… RAEKWON WALKER shot him down woke him up slept underneath his bed sheets lived in his soul and this is the place you left him leave me in grief. it’s not Raheem or Rashwan or Ralph Not Rick or Dave You have helped him for more than decade craft the art skill of patiently waiting, Waiting for his name to be said, The two syllable, yet simple name and he still cringe each time it’s butchered. The wait is no longer, he has simplified it, owning his name for him and gave you the opportunity to gain a PhD in the name game He is smart He is kind He is important Our names are… PEOPLE We are both human The blood that pumps through our veins is not so different than yours.