[Intro] "What we have to do is deal with it when these individuals are young enough, if you will, to be saved, not in a religious sense but not to constitute what this country at times calls their throwaway children." "We seem to be approaching an age of the gross." {burp} "We all have this idea that we should move up a little bit from our parents' nation and each generation should do a little bit better."

[Verse 1] Alright come on, let's cut the bullshit, enough Let's get it started, let's start addressing this issue and open it up Let's take this shit back to the basement And we can discuss statements that's made on this tape And its whole origin of the music that we all know and love The music that we all enjoy, the music you accuse me of trying to destroy Let's rewind it to '89 when I was a boy on the east side of Detroit Crossin 8 Mile into Warren, into hick territory I'd like to share a story, this is my story and can't nobody tell it for me You have well-inform me, I am well aware that I don't belong here You've made that perfectly clear I get my ass kicked damn near everywhere From Bel-Aire shopping center just for stopping in there From the black side all the way to the white side Okay there's a bright side: a day that I might slide You may call it a pass, I call it hauling my ass Through that patch of grass over them railroad tracks Oh them railroad tracks, them old railroad tracks Them good old notorious so well-known tracks

[Hook] Come on, let's go back Follow the yellow brick road as we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place I once used to call home sweet home

[Verse 2] I roam the streets so much they call me a drifter Sometimes I stick up a thumb just to hitchhike Just to get picked up to get me a lift to 8 Mile and Van Dyke And steal a god damn bike from somebody's backyard And drop it off at the park that was the halfway mark To meet Kim Had to walk back to her mama's on Chalmers after dark To sneak me in the house when I'm kicked out my mom's That's about the time I first met Proof with Goofy Gary on the steps At Osbourne handing out some flyers, he was doin some talent shows At Center Line High, I had told him to stop by and check this out sometime He looked at me like I'm out my mind Shook his head, like "white boys don't know how to rhyme" I spit out a line and rhymed "birthday" with "first place" And we both had the same rhymes that sound alike We was on the same shit, that Big Daddy Kane shit With compound syllables sound combined From that day we was down to ride Somehow we knew we'd meet again somewhere down the line

[Hook]

[Verse 3] My first year in 9th grade, can't forget that day at school It was cool till your man MC Shan came through And said that Puma's the brand cause the Klan makes Troops It was rumors but, man, god damn they flew Must've been true because man we done banned they shoes I had the new ones, the Cool J, Ice Lamb, suede too But we just threw them in the trash like they yesterday's news Guess who came through next? X Clan debuted Professor X (vanglorious), exists in a state of red, black, and green With a key, sissies! Now with this being a new trend We don't fit in crackas is out with Cactus albums Blackness is in, African symbols and medallions Represent black power and we ain't know what it meant Me and my man Howard and Butta would go to the mall with 'em All over our necks like we're showin 'em off, not knowin at all We was being laughed at, "you ain't even half black! You ain't supposed to have that homie let me grab that" And that Flavor Flav clock we goin' have to snatch that All I remember is meeting back at Manix's basement Saying how we hate this, how racist but dope the X Clan tape is Which reminds me back in '89 me and Kim broke up for the first time She was try'na two-time me, and there was this black girl At our school who thought I was cool Cause I rapped, so she was kinda eyeing me And oh the irony, guess what her name was? Ain't even goin' say it, plus The same color hair as hers was and blue contacts and a pair of jugs The bombest god damn girl in our whole school, if I could pull her Not only would I become more popular But I would be able to piss Kim off at the same time But it backfired, I was supposed to dump her But she dumped me for this black guy And that's the last I ever seen or heard or spoke To the "Oh Foolish Pride" girl But I've heard people say they heard the tape and it ain't that bad But it was I singled out a whole race and for that apologize I was wrong cause no matter what color a girl is, she's still a ho

[Hook]