Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but...

Look, the creator blew breath

I beat the pill, I skipped abortion, I have battled through death

6 Months, first words, 32 steps

Told moms, "I'm done playing ref, gave me two techs

I'm gone," she was looking at me weird like, "You been here before"

I said, "Father, fuckin' yeah"

Nobody got that joke, until a year or two later

I was writing on paper, people were scared

See, I don't see, I wasn't born

I was hatched, I was created, I was built, I was formed

I was sculpted, I was molded, I was crafted, I was carved

I was generated, made from the image of a God

Now the standard has been lifted and the cheers are going up

I was sent to raise the bar

Walking in Cheers, everybody yells "Shah"

So you know I'm not the norm

Y'all don't get it, y'all been warned, look

Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but...

See, school didn't help

My parents gave it effort but I swear

I was raised by Melle Mel's message

And a Public Enemy that had flavor and a Professor

And a crew that rocked Adidas with a rapping future reverend

And a radio toting MC that was confessing

How he needed love and was bold enough to address it

A DJ that ran for president

With a legend by his side, monotone and wise, infusing lessons

In my bloodstream when I came up

My daddy wasn't there but Big Daddy Kane was

Queen Latifah, Fresh Prince, royalty I witnessed

I was learning how to act before I even paid attention

Craig G's verses

G rap's wordplay, Pun spit it perfect

Masta Ace and my brother Lord Digga

Can't thank that man enough for teaching me to pen a scripture

Peep it, Dana Dane and Slick Rick stories

Grand Puba Man, you would see me flowing as a shorty

I was bumping Naughty and Tribe when I was young

Just watching and dreaming of joining the Native Tongues

Black Sheep was different, GZA provoked thought

Snoop gave a **** style, by '96 I was caught

I clowned around when I hung around with the underground

But when my hood was crazy violent, I was holding onto weapons

I was on the corner dwelling by the dumpster

One night I heard Brenda's baby crying

I watched Bishop turn into Lucky before he died

And I ain't hold it all inside, I let it out

Studied ten Crack Commandments, Friend or Foe, Illmatic

Nas made his memory lane so graphic

That we shared a project window where he was seeing the static

It was just like mine in my mind, dope addicts

It was Ice Cube's solos

KRS cover with the burner in the photo

Looking like Malcolm, shit, when Busta went dolo

I was so inspired, saw that Roc-A-Fella logo

And then I got hired

My mind was deep, my rhymes were shallow

Started coming from the soul when I got into battles

And right now I'm afraid cause these rappers are babbling

So I'm looking at the future, it's baffling

I don't know man, shit is missing

That Wu-Tang look, NWA essence

Or a Nate Dogg hook or Gang Starr's purity

Can't you see it?

Yo, the game's looking old and I'm a brand new being

I was spawned, I was merged from the clouds perspiration

And the sun hit my mother with light from the constellation

And it took one day to bring you this here creation

So I got the Lord beat, I'm telling you, don't sleep on me

Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but she really never had me

Mama gave birth but...