Mom & Dad

Tonight, tonight, there's something special to talk about

I never learned how to breathe

And I've asked someone very special to join me

Nancy and I

I was raised by Ronnie and Nancy (Nancy)

Even though neither one was my family

At the corner store stealin' some candy

That I sold at school, that skill came in handy

'Cause I learned to hustle, I learned to survive

Had to read the room by goin' off a vibe

I became elite, I escaped the streets

Put myself to sleep seven days of the week

I seen friends fall off, the ones people believed in

Who gave up hope for no obvious reason

I became depressed with the change of season

'Cause a change seem too out of range to be achievin'

But I was raised by Ronnie and Nancy (Nancy and I)

Even though neither one was my family (From our family to yours)

And even though I didn't grow up fancy

I used to fantasize that I'd win me a Grammy

So I learned to kill shit, I basically had to

I pumped on the block until the police catch you

I'd watch at adults who convulse with no pulse

We'd go to school late with no coats and no notes

Remember the dead shirts? Remember the programs?

Remember when crack would get smoked out of Coke cans?

And that's literally all we had

And it's all thanks to mom and dad

Today, there's a new epidemic

Smokable cocaine, otherwise known as crack

It is an explosively destructive and often lethal substance

Which is crushing

When the Challenger exploded, I was in class then

When Paul Castellano met four assassins

When I was raised by Ronnie and Nancy

Even though neither one was my family

'Cause my parents were teens and didn't plan me

So I thank God mom didn't have Plan B

'Cause I wouldn't be here to mic check, one, two

I'm brothers with Preem and all my dreams have come true

Monch is my sensei, O is my teacher too

Who said, "Ap, look how many people believe in you"

I finally own that, I'm pokin' my chest out

It ain't just Connecticut, I'm one of the best out

This is for that little boy who saw too much

Who ate government grilled cheese while raw was cut

And guess what?

I was raised by Ronnie and Nancy (Nancy)

Even though neither one was my family

And even though there's no food in the pantry

It really prepped me for how real life can be

So I went into kill mode, I eat what I hunt now

Incredible Hulk shit, I never feel run down

Now I'm an adult, never broke, I feel rich

Bring my kids to school with new coats and new kicks

Remember the free lunch? Remember the free clothes?

Remember pretendin' we was Jordan throwin' the free throws?

'Cause that's literally all we had

And it's all thanks to mom and dad

Illegal cocaine is coming into our country at alarming levels

And four to five million people regularly use it

Five hundred thousand Americans are hooked on heroin

Nancy's joining me because the message this evening is not my message, but ours

It's back-to-school time for America's children

And while drug and alcohol abuse cuts across all generations

It's especially damaging to the young people on whom our future depends

So tonight, from our family to yours, thank you for joining us