What we have to do is deal with it when these individuals are young enough
If you wish to be saved, not in a religious sense
but not to constitute what this country at times calls if or which over
We seem to be approaching an age of the gross
We all have this idea that we should move up from our parents station
and each generation should do a little bit better

Aight 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 "Bassmint"
And we can discuss statements that's made on this tape
And it's whole origin of the music that we all know and love
The music that we all enjoy the music you all accuse me of tryna destroy
Let's rewind it to 89 when I was a boy on the east side of Detroit
Crossin' 8 Mile in the border in the hate territory
I'd like to share a story
this is my story and can't no body tell it for me
You will 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-Air 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 past, I call it haulin' my ass
Through that patch of grass over them railroad tracks
Oh them railroad tracks, them old railroad tracks
Them good old notorious oh well known tracks

CHORUS
So 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
that I once used to call home sweet home
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
that I once used to call home sweet home

I roam the streets so much they call me a drifter
Sometimes I stick up a thumb just to hitch hike
Just to get picked up to get me a lift to 8 Mile and van dike
And steal a Goddamn bike from somebody's backyard
And drop it off at the park that was the half way mark
To meet Kim had to walk back to her mama's them dramas 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, when poof he'd carry on the set
Set eyes born in and out some flyers, he was doin' some talent shows
At centerline, 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, 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
wit' compound syllables sound combined
From that day we was down to ride
somehow we knew we'd meet again somewhere down the line

Chorus

My first year in 9th grade, can't forget that day at school
It was cool till your man MC Sham came through
And said that Boom was the brain 'cause the clan makes troops
It was rumors but man god damned they flew
Musta been true because man we done banned they shoes
I had the new ones the Cool J, Ice land swayed too
And we just through them in the trash like they yesterday's news
Guess who came through next, X clam debut
Professor X (and glorious)
exists in a state of red, black, and green with a key, sissies
Now with this bein' a new trend, we don't fit in
Crackers 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 ??? would go to the mall
wit' 'em all over our necks like we're showin' 'em off
Not knowin' at all we was bein' laughed at
You ain't even half black
You ain't 'posed to have that
Homie let me grab that
And that Flavor Flave clock
We gon' have to snatch that
All I remember is meetin' back at, Manix's basement
Sayin' how we hate this, our races wit' dope the x clan take this
Which reminds me, back in '89 me, and Kim broke up for the first time
She was tryna two time me
And there was this black girl at our school
who thought I was cool 'cause I rapped, so she was kinda eyein' me
And oh the irony, guess what her name was?
I ain't even gon' say it plus
The same color hair as hers was and blue contacts and a pair of jugs
The bombast God damn girl in our whole school
If I could pull it 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 still a ???

Chorus