Sons (Young Kings)

Yeah, Young Kings, it all starts, humble beginnings
Young Kings, Young, Young Kings, yeah
Head on a swivel, loaded lead in the nickel
The devil holding a sickle wanna sever your tissue
That's forever the issue, then candlelight at a vigil
They say jail is both a rehab center and homeless shelter
And life and death is close as a tonic and seltzer
Never fold under pressure, give you my manifesto
Every man is a vessel, my son is my reflection
He from the highest heaven, I try not to possess him
Allow him to be tested
One day the words may come out the mouth of a reverend
By the power vested in me, loud at his wedding
Give flowers while you can smell them, I try to tell him
All the diamonds and foreigns, all the finest of garments
It's really how it ends and not how it started
Filthy rich scuba diving in your wealthy pockets
Louie, Prada, but health is my most valuable stock tip
Y'all about to run things to my young kings
To my brothas with sons, let 'em run
To my brothas with sons, so fun
I pray y'all both share the most powerful bond
A little different from him and his mom
To my sistas with boys, the joy
To my sistas with boys, enjoy
Tell him stand tall, know he should go for it all
He's a glorious king
Plenty stuff I used to see I often thought was a image of us
Getting off the city bus, all the memories rush
I used to look up at the crossing sign
A child with a grown up holding his arm
While I was walking with my mom
I pointed at it, automatic
I saw it as a little boy who was the baddest
Like don't let 'im run in traffic
I really thought the crossing sign was me and my mom
Like who thought we was that important for a street sign
One year she told me that sign was for everybody
I'm like we ain't everybody, nah we special mommy
Playin' with toys, yo she got us Atari
Those is Miss Anne's boys, Nasir and Jabari
Our youth was constantly fighting institutional racism
In school we questioned the bias
Two little future lions
Haile Selasie's in training
Y chromosome, in no time they grown
First born be like the mom
Second born is usually like dad
Then you add the other siblings
Hold each other down cause love brings
The world at your feet, my young kings
To my brothas with sons, let 'em run
To my brothas with sons, so fun
I pray y'all both share the most powerful bond
A little different from him and his mom
To my sistas with boys, the joy
To my sistas with boys, enjoy
Tell him stand tall, know he should go for it all
He's a glorious king