Higher Learning

This is the story of when my life was changed forever

There's 16 oz. to a pound 18 more to a key
And Mos Def wants to explain mathematics to me
The situation seems tragic and I'm feeling like a culprit
So I'mma look back and try to figure out where I faulted
I was born in 81 dad fathered a baby son
Turned into a strong man you he really help make me one
And ever since I can remember
He told me skin color was irrelevant just act your gender
When I was 8 I bought a Public Enemy tape
I didn't fear the black planet wanted to hear the black planet
Were they talking fight the power or fight the powder
It didn't matter when I was nine I just screamed it louder
And at 10 I bought shirts where hands met in the middle
And when whites said the word nigger I got upset a little
When I was 11 I really thought that I was helping the blacks
I saved up my allowance for a Malcolm X hat
I wore it until a gun got pulled on me
People thought I was an idiot but I was just innocent
For many reasons I was balling really my ass cried
But nothing will compare to what happened last night

[Chorus]
The 14th amendment doesn't help to encourage friendship
And nobody really tries to fight to put an end to it
So if you open your eyes then the sooner you'll see
It's obviously up to us and its only you and me

Who else you know but Illmatic on the date of its release
You got hyped off "One Mic" and bought the 4 previous cds
He fucked up threw a diss people said I'm out of my league
But this white boy aint going back to bottom feed
So now I paid my dues I thought it was obvious
But still I hear 'Yo, You out of line with that Nas diss
This aint just a novice with a college career
People took me as a joke so the knowledge is here
And it really ate me up self pride swallowed with fear
Contemplated last night sipping on a bottle of beer
So now I leave the bar its just a short run to the house
And out of nowhere I hear a car coming from the south
They jumped out 4 blacks pushed me back to the ground
With fists and kicks yo they beat my ass down
Outside I was pissed inside callin for Mom
But my face was full of blood and my wallet
And I wish I could say it wasn't cause of my race
But it was obvious they did it cause of the color of my face
They said Fuck you cracker Fuck you Cracker
I'm think what the fuck yo don't they know I'm a rapper
Said fuck you Cracker I'm thinking fuck you too
But said it to myself so the beating would conclude
They drove off laughin and I'm sitting there gaspin
All I can do is just watch time as its passin
Laying there alone broke down stared to cry
Can you believe what happened to me last night?

[Chorus]

I got nothing but sympathy for what happened to your relatives
But I was in an emergency room and that's relative
I can't believe that I was so naive
I never ever thought it could happen to little old me
I'd never been a racist but now I'm the victim of a hate crime
You'd be surprised how it fucks up the state of your mind
And I knew that it would only heal through time with rhymes
But I'm real afraid that it may leave scars behind
And then it hit me. I wasn't mad at black but mad at the kids
For giving me a concussion and shattering my ribs
I got many black friends they respect me I respect them
I was only seeing one color in the spectrum
And even thought they did it cause of my skin tone
If I grew to hate all blacks that I would've been no
Better than them a hypocrite a fake profit
Because I grew up thinking we'd unite to stop this
Racial oppression, aggression its tension obsession
As with everything out pops the lesson
The tears are all gone I can't believe my ass cried
Cause I learned so much from what happened last night