One Life

[Verse 1: Last Emperor]

1993, shortly before Thanksgiving

I got the call, she said, "Jamal, Derek is not longer living"

Softly she spoke, is this a joke? Man, you gotta be kidding

As my question was raised, this explanation was given

A meaningless death made me question the meaning of life

Does my body remain at rest like when I'm sleeping at night?

Will I burn in eternal Hell or will I find paradise?

Be rejected or ressurected like the body of Christ?

Is it like purgatory, the story described by the Catholics?

Or Nirvana that Buddha sought in both theory and practice?

Like I studied in my college philosophy classes

Or do my molecules and atoms travel back to the gases?

I mean, what I'd like to know, is where's my spirit go?

After the curtains close, on my final show?

Is there a pain it brings? Enjoy my favorite things?

Visit ancient kings? Hear the angels sing?

"Who'll answer these?", said the great MCs

My man Grym who's battling a debilitating disease

He said, "You see, a brother like me is willing to fight

And everytime I question death my only answer is life

Nigga fight!"

[Chorus: Esthero]

One life, yeah

And my God will set me free

Am I living in this moment?

Am I living righteously?

It gets hard

But I know I got to keep on

I'm trying so hard to be strong

[Verse 2: Poetic]

Paralyzed on the bathroom floor by pain

Last month I endured, but now I can't ignore

Feels like railroad spikes being stuck in my liver

Am I dying? Eyes crying, body starting to shiver

Crawl upstairs from the basement, calling my sister

(Sniff) "Dawn, help me, I ain't feeling too healthy"

Stomach walls burning, head spinning and turning

Waiting for the EMS; 3:10 in the morning

Rush me to the emergency screaming like a newborn

The pain's too strong, maybe my soul's trying to move on

They hook me to the I.V., put me through some X-Rays

Gave me Demerol to kill the pain, that was the next phase

Early the next day in the hospital room

Moms and Pops in the room, three or four docs in the room

Uh; test results suggest your colon and your liver

Is so cancerous you got three months left

Me and Death is playing chess ever since then

My strength is the Most High, my fam and close friends

The Last Emp and Set Free blessed me with a verse

Staying healthy comes first, look at me, things could be worse

[Chorus: Esthero]

One life, yeah

And my God will set me free

Am I living in this moment?

Am I living righteously?

It gets hard

But I know I got to keep on

I'm trying so hard to be strong

One life, yeah

And my God will set me free

Am I living in this moment?

Am I living righteously?

It gets hard

But I know I got to keep on

I'm trying so hard to be strong