Yo, I want the Langston Hughes and Alex Haley   Got blazed before they told stories   I'ma get blazed before I tell y'all stories      I saw on TV today, this man lost his son, his son died   So he had him cremated, took his ashes   And then made it to a Diamond ring   Now he watches his son shine everyday   I just thought about that, while I sit here ashing in this ash tray, yeah      The makin' of a mad band, intricate stories of DeVante Swing   Ava Gardner, the crashin' of James Dean   Bobby Brown influenced by Rick James and it goes   Prince wanted Alexander O'Neal to be Morris Day or Jerome      But Alex was puttin' coke in his nose, **** whylin'   Could be a myth but I swear that the source was close, Phyllis Hyman   Killed herself, it was crazy, mommy was bad they say   Donny Hathaway freefall from a balcony, he swings      As the blunt ash falls into the ash tray   I could see my whole life fly past me   Did I, did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?   And will the money and fame out last me?      The blunt's ash falls down in the ash tray   Will I see my whole life fly past me?   I'm askin' did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?   Did I? Anything else you wanna know, just ask me      Sam trusted Womack with his main lady   He tossin' in the grave, like, 'This is how you repay me?'   A change gon' come, wish you didn't trust me so much   Marvin said, 'No mountain's high enough, fly stuff'      David Ruffin was punchin' Tammy Terrell, gave her concussions   While the Funk Brothers was layin' down the percussions   When Flo from the Surpremes died, Diana Ross cried   Many people said that she was laughin' inside      As the blunt ash falls into the ash tray   I could see my whole life fly past me   Did I, did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?   And will the money and fame out last me?      The blunt's ash falls down in the ash tray   Will I see my whole life fly past me?   I'm askin' did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?   Did I? Anything else you wanna know, just ask me?      John F. Kennedy's, enemies dealt with treachery   It interests me, Judy Campbell in Gucci sandals   She's what a temptress be, the death of Ennis Cosby, what a mystery   Or the Chicagoan Harold Washington, someone is sabotaging them      Watch out for the traps   Larry Troutman killed his brother Roger Troutman   Then he killed himself, that's the end of Zapp   And I wouldn't change a thing, mistakes of the greats   This is what came from their pain from their hurt we gain   An unfair exchange      As the blunt ash falls into the ash tray   I could see my whole life fly past me   Did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?   And will the money and fame out last me?      The blunt's ash falls down in the ash tray   Will I see my whole life fly past me?   I'm askin' did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?   Anything else you wanna know, just ask me?      Wasn't even allowed to go to the premier   Could'ya'believe that?, couldn't go to premier to her joint   Man, you know they were strong back then man   Blunt from my ash tray, nothin' gon' to live past me, yeah, yeah, yeah