Poetic Justice
Lessons from the writings of Tupac Shakur.
Panther Power
As real as it seems, the American Dream,
Ain't nothing but another calculated scheme,
To get us locked up, shot up or back in chains,
To deny us of the future rob our names,
Kept my history a mystery, but now I see
The American Dream wasn't meant for me, 'Cause lady liberty's a hypocrite, she lied to me
Promised me freedom, education, equality,
Never gave me nothing but slavery,
And now look at how dangerous you made me, Calling me a mad man 'cause I'm strong and bold
With this gun full of knowledge of the lies you told,
Promise me emancipation in this new nation,
All you gave my people was our patience,
Fathers of our country never cared for me,
They kept my answer shackled up in slavery,
And Uncle Sam never did a damn thing for me,
Except lie about the facts in my history,
So now I'm sitting here mad 'cause I'm unemployed,
But the government's glad 'cause they enjoy it,
When my people are down so they can screw us around, Time to change the government now,
PANTHER POWER!
Panther power from the strength that resides within, Go toe to toe with a panther and you just can't win, Suffered fame bats suppressed the rest,
The rich get richer and the poor take less,
The American Dream was an American nightmare,
You kept my people down and refuse to fight fair,
The Klu Klux Klan tried to keep us out,
With signs drew, they know no blacks allowed,
With intimidation and segregation was a way for our freedom,
But now we're impatient, Blacks the other skin, dead or sell outs,
Freedom, equality,
then I'll yell out
"Don't you ever be ashamed of what you are,
It's ya panther power that makes you a Starr",
PANTHER POWER!
My Mother never let me forget my history,
Hoping I was set free,
chains never put on me,
Wanted to be more than just free,
Had to know the true facts about my history,
I couldn't settle for being a statistic,
Couldn't survive in this capitalistic
Government, 'cause it was meant to hold us back,
Using ignorant, drugs, to sneak attack,
In my community,
they killed the unity,
But when I charged them, tried to claim immunity,
I strike America like a case of hard disease,
Panther power is running through my arteries,
Try to stop, oh boy you'll be clawed to death,
'Cause I'll be fighting for my freedom with my dying breath,
Do you remember that is what I'm asking you?
You think you living free, don't let me laugh at you,
Open your eyes, realize that you have been locked in chains,
Said you wasn't civilized and stole your name,
'Cause some time has passed seem you all forget,
There ain't no liberty to you and me, we all ain't free yet,
PANTHER POWER!
Trapped
You know they got me trapped in this prison of seclusion,
Happiness, living on the streets is a delusion,
Even a smooth criminal one day must get caught,
Shot up or shot down with the bullet that he bought,
Nine millimeter kickin' thinkin' about what the streets do to me,
'Cause they never talk peace in the black community,
All we know is violence,
do the job in silence,
Walk the city streets like a rat pack of tyrants,
Too many brothers daily heading for the big pen, Niggas comin' out worse-off than when they went in, Over the years I done a lot of growin' up,
Getting drunk, throwin' up, Cuffed up,
Then I said I had enough, There must be another route, way out,
To money and fame,
I changed my name,
And played a different game,
Tired of being trapped in this vicious cycle,
If one more cop harasses me I just might go psycho,
And when I get 'em, I'll hit 'em with the bum rush,
Only a lunatic would like to see his skull crushed,
Yo, if you're smart you'll really let me go, G
But keep me cooped up in this ghetto and catch the Uzi,
They got me trapped,
Uh, uh, they can't keep the black man down. Naw, they can't keep the black man down.
They got me trapped,
Can barely walk the city streets
Without a cop harassing me, searching me,
Then asking my identity, Hands up, throw me up against the wall,
Didn't do a thing at all,
I'm telling you one day these suckers gotta fall,
Cuffed up throw me on the concrete,
Coppers try to kill me,
But they didn't know this was the wrong street,
Bang, bang, count another casualty,
But it's a cop who's shot for his brutality,
Who do you blame?
It's a shame because the man's slain,
He got caught in the chains of his own game,
How can I feel guilty after all the things they did to me?
Sweated me, hunted me, Trapped in my own community,
One day I'm gonna bust, Blow up on this society,
Why did ya lie to me?
I couldn't find a trace of equality,
Work me like a slave while they laid back,
Homie, don't play that,
It's time I let 'em suffer the payback,
I'm trying to avoid physical contact,
I can't hold back,
it's time to attack jack
They got me trapped
Uh, uh, they can't keep the black man down.
Now I'm trapped and want to find my getaway,
All I need is a 'G' and somewhere safe to stay, Can't use the phone
'Cause I'm sure someone is tapping in,
Did it before
Ain't scared to use my gat again,
I look back in hindsight the fight was irrelevant,
But now he's the devil's friend,
Too late to be tellin' him,
He shot first and I'll be damned if I run away,
Homie is done away,
I should've put my gun away,
I wasn't thinking, all I heard was the ridicule,
Girlies was laughin', saying, "Damn homies is dissing you."
I fired my weapon,
Started steppin' in the hurricane ,
I got shot so I dropped
Feelin' a burst of pain,
Got to my feet
Couldn't see nothin' but a bloody blur,
Now I'm a fugitive to be hunted like a murderer,
Ran through an alley,
Still lookin' for my getaway, Coppers said, "Freeze, or you'll be dead today."
Trapped in a corner,
Dark and I couldn't see the light,
Thoughts in my mind was the nine and a better life, What do I do?
Live my life in a prison cell?
I'd rather die than be trapped in a living hell,
They got me trapped
Uh, uh, they can't keep the black man down. Naw, they can't keep the black man down.