Nas: I Know I Canbe What I Wanna Be

i know i can (i know i can)
be what i wanna be(be what i wanna be)
if i work hard at it (if i work at it)
i'll be where i want to be(i'll be where i want to be)

(verse 1)
b, b boys and girls listen up, you can be anything in the world
in god we trust, an architect, doctor, maybe an actress
but nothin' comes easy,
it takes much practice,
like i met a woman who was becoming a star,
she was very beautiful
leaving people in awe
singin' songs Lena Horne,
but the younger version,
hung wit' the wrong person,
got her strung on that heroin,
cocaine sniffin up drugs all in her nose,
could've died young, now looks ugly and old,
no fun cuz now when she reaches for hugs
people hold thier breath cuz she smells of corrosion and death,
watch the company you keep, and the crowd you bring,
cuz they came to do drugs and you came to sing,
so if you gonna be the best im'a tell you how,
put your hands in the air and take the vow

chorusx2

(verse 2)
b, b boys and girls listen again
this is for grown looking girls who's only ten,
the ones who watch videos and do as they see
as cute as can be, up in the clubs with fake i.ds,
careful 'fore you meet a man with h.i.v.
you can host tv like oprah winfrey
whatever you decide, be careful, some men be rapists
so act your age, don't pretend to be older than you are,
give yourself time to grow, you're thinking he can give you wealth
but so young boy, you could use alot of help you know
ya thinkin' life's all about smokin' weed and ice,
you don't wanna be my age and can't read and write
beggin' different women for a place to sleep at night,
smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish
if you believe you can achieve, then say it like this

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(verse 3)
b,b, before we came to this country,
we were kings and queens-never porch monkeys
there was empires in africa called kush,
timbuktu, where every race came to get books to learn from black teachers
who taught greeks and romans, asians, arabs, and gave them gold
when gold was converted to money it all changed
money then became empowerment for europeans,
the persian military invaded
they heard about the gold, the teachings and everything sacred
africa was almost robbed naked,
slavery was money, so they began making slaveships
egypt was the place that alexander the great went
he was in shock that in the mountains were black faces
shot off thier nose to impose what basically
still goes on today you see
if the truth is told the youth can grow,
they'll learn to survive, until they gain control
nobody says you have to be gangsters, hos
read more, learn more, change the globe
ghetto children do your thing
hold your head up little man you're a king
young princess when you get your wedding ring
your man's saying she's my quee-een

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oooooo ooooooooo oooooooooooo o ooo ooooo oooo

save the music ya'll
save the music ya'll
save the music ya'll
save the music