All That I Am - Bilal

All that I am

All that I know

All that I ever will be and though

Out of the mouth of a black man scorned

I see you laughing with swollen eyes

Life beat a mother when you’re playing the losing side

But I, dream deferred

Vision’s blurred

A hustle served

And anyone who would listen, respect is earned

A lesson’s learned

How many sleepless night’s have you

How many?

How many shift the state have you watched it turn it to fade away

While you use all tricks to backtrack

Try to be right and exact

But lack of paper will make a nigga act

Like a nigga, forget that he black

Moms is working two jobs

Pops is worshiping two gods

Yo hard times at the bar downtown

Wondering, what’s on God’s mind

Truth is born

From the soul of a black man sworn

To barren streets from the east, souls get raised

Diamonds reflect

Pimped out days where my uncle lays his game down

He’s in the galaxy of game and never came down

He’s from the same town

I mean planet as them, ya know

Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim

Had a precious angel sharpest in the stable

Blond wig, with a pierced naval

He branded her his angel

In disguise

Eating his pockets and feeding him lies

After a few broken arms and black guys

She wrote a book to make his favor rise

Then sold to a system where he’ll never breathe again

Down to Earth just to leave again