Tell Me Yours

[Verse]

I’m honestly not looking for thank yous because I don’t deserve them

I didn’t earn them

But you can thank South Central

Thank the San Gabriel Valley

Run up PCH and go'n and thank Lake Merritt

Every TurfWalker and scraper bike

When you see one say “Thanks for Prop’s music”

Poseidon, who made sure the bar was high in cyphers

Krystal, Kevin and Corey, the other Black family in Belinda

Thomas Polkinghorn – he’s why I even like rap

Thank the foundation, I.E., the hardest battles I’ve been in against

Triune, Dead Eye and Ishues

Breuman, Zaragosa, Wilbur family introduced me to the gospel

Reynosa and Coleman, Whitenhill, Robles tried and my Sri Lankan twin Holden

Ronnie David Robles

He the first to put a spray can in my hand

And my imagination expanded

That’s why my art is ambidextrous

I owe you one hermano!

Trujillo, Montez, Sales, Carrasco

I told you I grew up with vatos

Leon, Myren and Junie

Miss Venita Shells, Uncle Ray, Aunt Fannie Mae

Vakaa Rose and Aunt Ethell

Mr. Jeffrey, Ms. Cronan and Palicki came to get me

When I was ditching US History

Trying to keep up with Trevor Penick

Thanks David Utley

He told me he thought God made black people by smearing them ‘em feces

And Brad Sutton, who called rap “jungle jive”

True story

It’s what drew me to the scriptures

And years later offered ya'll Lofty

Dr. Anderson, David Rojas, Mr. Singer

Doug Thigpen, Ms. Monje and Herrera for turning down my advances

Lol! I would’ve never met mi Alma

Thanks Silvana and Ms. Jenna Kamp

The most outside-the-box teachers that knew that kids could learn

And ain’t buy that “at-risk” rhetoric

Nicolette and the Wilson’s, an adopted clan of twelve

I witnessed troubled abandoned kids get loved into success

Huizars, Neyda, Dahlia and Graciella Conchas

I was there when your pop died and I still got that bracelet

Cynthia Saldana. Oh! Patience and both Uplands

Tiffany, Kaamill, Spencer

Masonry, Bianca, Uyen

Nick Luevano and Raphael Cala

These kids were the fuel for at least three albums

Thank the Blowed, A Mic and Dimmed Lights

Up the street, round the corner

Where my heart was best kept

Thank Best Kept and Shihan

They're why I love poetry

An encouragement of mi Ate

Irene Fay Duller, who told me to try my hand at poetry

Hey, what’s up with Jodel, how he doin'?

Thank El Taco Naco

Where Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas

Accidentally kicked me in the tooth

That’s why it’s chipped to this day

True story

Thanks Zane One, Sareem Poems and Ozay Moore

Rosario Ortega, Shames Worthy, James, Janice

Nichole Petty and Thomas Joseph Terry

[Outro]

These deserve your thanks

If you see them, tell them I sent you

I didn’t know then, but I know now

What I cannot ignore is my Crimson Cord

Don’t tell me yours, tell me yours, tell me yours

Tell me yours, tell me yours

Tell me yours, tell me yours

Tell me yours, tell me yours

Tell me yours, tell me yours

Crimson Cord