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We Live *In An Era*

by Shakenya J.

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about

Lil bit throwback

lyrics

We Live In An Era

We Live In an era
where a weak, wack rapper
can be the pastor of a bastard flock

Who think spitting
Is the struggle rap,
From generic actors
fused with pop

Some of these cats ain't got
'Pac or Biggie in em
They need a daddy

we still got Nas & Jay-Z
To step up
& be the pappy

I remember
When good hip hop
Was like a symphony

Every word spake
Like an epiphany

An homage
To an invisible written canvas
Only hip-hop heads could see

When nobody tried to
out skinny jean the other

And the lyrics wasn't malignant
Like Stage 4 cancer
When it taught us more
Than dudes enjoy fuckin dancers

I remember the first time I heard Ether
How Nasir & Lauryn ruled the world
Missy told u to
Get ur freak on
Foxy married the firm

And deeper than that
First love
Was when Poor George took the wrong turn

But we live in an era
Where a weak, wack rapper
Can be the pastor
Your children the
Church &
In their Beats by Dre headphones,
the tabernacle


We live
In a time
Where they publicly condemn...but
Privately condone
A dude named
Zimmerman

And they tried to take away the power
In the music
Promote pure bullshit, no pen
Situation dour
The way they lockin up Black men

I'm feelin the
Black Panther party

Martin's dream
Was
Malcolm's nightmare

Obama's election
Seemed
Like The pinnacle of the dream
Just that
The disrespect he
Eric Garnered
Fallen soldiers - from Trayvon Martin
To Walter Scott, Brandon Tate-Brown
Tamir Rice...
Why can't I wake up ?!?!
This can't be life

Pass me a
I Cant Breathe T-Shirt.

Much obliged

Asthmatic
Wheezing
Choked by the lies
They tell us

Like we ain't the cradle of life
I look at them
Like geographically
Check your birth certificate
Point of Origin
For the human species
Is Africa...
You my son, my nicca

How can I survive
As a victim of apartheid?

The slave owners
Been playin hide and seek
From the wealth and riches
Don't wanna be no slave
Just to enjoy this system
If I got dark clouds for days
Then I have to black out in em

Era
Live in an era

credits

released June 19, 2015
DJ Spinntrax on the production.

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all rights reserved

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about

Shakenya J. image

Shakenya J. Chicago, Illinois

Fluent in poetry, this artist has been writing since age 9. Equipped with a journalism degree, south side flavor and an earnest aptitude for commentary on the current social climate, she transcends regular poetry into a hip-hop nether-space reserved for spaceheads and truth-tellers.

For Instagrammy nominations, check her out @soufsidekayjay ... more

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