Message

I have nothing but respect for our young people and what they're doing

My thing is, we as adults did not stand strong and on our square

To bring our young people through this process

I know I was the young person that had to fend for himself

On the streets of New York

I know what happened

With our young people, I say, look, I ain't mad at you

Know no mater what I hear

I know that you are moving through a process

Because they are attempting to destroy the community

So they're using you

They are buying you out

But we as adults get to buy them back

I'm ready to compete with anybody for the young people's minds

And what we have to do is change the paradigm

Of how we're interacting with them

Deal with them from a heartfelt place where they can understand

You see, because whether you realize it or not

It's you they're shooting in the streets

You, young brothers, they're the ones that are being shot

And so with this entertainment or with this music

Maybe I don't like what I hear

Maybe I don't like some of the words that I hear

Maybe I don't like the direction

But I think they're doing a pretty good job

Considering that we as men

The adult men did not cover that when we should have covered that

And protected them when we should have protected them

And brought them up when we see

An artist acting in the most inappropriate way

Where is the father in this?

Where is that male mentor that can be there?

We as black men must take on the responsibility

As the honorable Elijah Muhammad told Malcolm

Is that a nation is only as strong as its weakest family

And we have got to create nations

We have to create relationships

Between the African man and the African woman

That create some valuable function