Motherf**ers can’t cry no more
When you die no more
Its a crying shame
You won’t even try no more
Black suits black ties and obituaries handed out
Ashes to ashes after living life hand to mouth
A d**hwish is cool till its time to blow the candles out
I need some answers now
Leaving your sons is tantamount to throwing em straight to the wolves
And everybody saying theyd be different if they had a man around
He liked his work and his women built like a Clydesdale
Went to the city in search of supreme clientele
And back to the country frontin like he Mr Drysdale
Just an illusion a ruse an old wives tale
While I was in the borough where the dope and the gun work
Had the whole hood soundin like Dunkirk
Staring at my celing fan tryin to be a man
Wishing I had a chance to be a son first
[Dialogue] You know its crazy cos like when I was a kid
My dad used to pick me up from school
He was an executive chef and he would bring me to the kitchen
I would be so excited to cook
And you know hed be like “nah” you need to, you need to prep
You need to do preparation
And I didn’t understand it at the time
But he was teaching me about life
They ask where I been dog I been rebuilding
With my wiz and children
Put my pops in the ground
And hit the Repa** and ate the same sh** that k**ed him
Your habits didn’t deviate
Just thought you would appreciate
My moms used to say I was a who*e just like you
Son mom, I ran through even more just to spite you
And Pops, my health is doing pretty good despite you
I try so I dont die at 54 just like you cold
Im one snowflake away from an avalanche
My first teachers were masters of self sabotage
My momma walking slower nowerdays she got a stent
Still on them Newports wheres your f**in common sense?
Pardon my French Im just still unconvinced
That as young as you are soon Ill be taking care of you
I get it youre the one who did the raising(rasin) Im the son(sun)
But Im not ready to cry at your Lorraine Hansberry-al
You can’t undo it you either succumb to it
Make the adjustment or just become numb to it
Looking over your life like what have I done to it
Knowing your bloodmine is the river that runs through it
My sons look at me these days and think Im certified
Preparing them for a world theyll be desserted by
Internalized black men if you get a teaspoon of compa**ion
Thats more than double the serving size
I get impatient sh** is taking too long
They dont get it I really lived it you can say what you want
Cos by the time you realise that your father was right
Youll have your own son telling you that youre wrong
But be his ride or die even if you two ain’t seein eye to eye
Teach him how to throw a punch, ride a bike, tie a tie
Hold on to him while you can this is just what I advise
[Kids voice] Tiggalo Tiggalo Tiggalo Tiggalo
[Phonte] Nah nah nah nah f** that piano man! keep playing!