"i was born.."      [big daddy kane]   A black man from the motherland   Speakin a language today most people don't understand   Where no one could bother me   Cause I had freedom, justice, and equality   But then one day it was tooken away   And I was shipped to the u.s.a.   A young brother, made into a slave   To harvest the midlands and clean the chittlins   Given a new name, new religion   No freedom to vote, not even to make a decision   I saw my peoples, sold raped and took out   The rest of that stuff that alex haley talks about   They said I'm not from asia I'm from africa   And all the blacks there now are just scavengers   That's the way my mind was poisoned   To believe that in america blacks are inferior   A weak mind and a body of swine   Only adds up to being - deaf dumb and blind   Illiterate to who where what and why   So I ask myself: who am i?       "i was born.."      [big daddy kane]   A native new yorker on the streets   Known for rockin rhymes to real rough beats   That I found in the attic, noisy with static   A sound that made me, a hip-hop fanatic   I made a few songs that sold ok   Never top 20 or plenty airplay   I came out hardcore, flexin cock diesel   Saw a little cash, and pop goes the weasel   I had to make that change and rearrange   My whole rap format, no hardcore rap   So now all the pop charts I rule   Over new kids on the block and paula abdul, huh   I thought I made it, then my song faded   And none of the black stations ever have played it   I tried to blame it on mtv   And say, "damn, they cold played me for young mc"   But when you get down to it, I'm the real blame   Because I wanted the fame   Money is not only the root of all evil   It's also the destruction of black people, so   Conjunction junction, what's your function?    Bein a scout, or sellin out?    Look in the mirror at yourself, eye to eye   And say: who am i?       [gamilah shabazz]   A solid change, have to rearrange this strange   Feelin I'm feelin, so appealin   I am having to deal with   Time to forget the myth, of bein black and a woman   Can't get ahead, walkin on a thread, a tightrope   Can't cope, don't be a dope, have a little bit of hope   Runnin your scope on affairs   You have to be aware, don't flare up   Let your cup runneth over   I'm not irish, don't need a donut to fill up my dish   Nor two mango wish to wish on a star, they're so far   Anyway I'm thinkin about today, not tomorrow   I'm not a follower of anyone   My time has come, it's already here   My message is clear   Like the women of long ago, I am also here   Also to show, I have the courage   Have the strength, I'm for equal opportunity   No matter the life, length of time   Show me a sign, should I rely on a   Subliminal message, should I question   What would seem to be, life's told me?    Yes indeed, so let me speak      [big daddy kane]   And that's comin from the daughter of malcolm x   So black women put it in your texts   So you can never let, opportunity pass you by   Or even ask yourself, who am i?