Yo, Yo
I want to dedicated this song to Philip Arthur Harrison
Word up
cause he was the one who took me from a boy to a man
So as far as I'm concerned, he's my father cause my biological didn't bother

Biological father, left me in the cold, when a few months old
Aa father's child was greater than gold but I guess not
You brought me into the world but your not my dad
Mess around with those drugs makes my moms mad
So we left you with no remorsal pity
Took the first bus from York to Jersey City
Women and child alone now thats pressure
Moms got to go to work, drop me off by Obesa
Momma, Aunt DeDe, whoever
Aunt Falma, Uncle Roy we stuck together
A year went by and I could walk y'all
Moms got that good ol job at city hall
She probably didn't trust men anymore
Until Philip Harrison walk though the door
Went out a few times but what about Shaquille
Moms offered him a million dollar package deal
She said you want me you gotta take my son
or else its like a hot dog but without the bun
Guess what he accepted, responsibility he never left it
He kept it, he kept it
He took me from a boy to a man so Phil is my father
cause my biological didn't bother

[Chorus] 4x
He took me from a boy to a man so Phil is my father 
cause my biological didn't bother.           

January 5th Phil made a promise (what's that)
He joined the army we moved to fort mamth
He disciplined me right from the get go
Age 2 bottle and my Mom shaquille let go
Actin spoiled, rotten, trippin
Got a butt whippin because I didn't listen
Back then you see privates made no bucks
Had to get another job driven trucks
Workin hard as hell didn't satisfy him
Had to another job working at the gym
He wasn't "Gone with the Wind" like Clark Gable
Work all them jobs to put food on the table
Phil's my father, daddy and thats the scoop
Can I go to the gym with you and shoot some hoops
Come on he put me under his wing
Was the ball boy for his little Arthur team
Sometimes he even made me mad
But it didn't matter cause I still wanted to be like dad
but a little bit better
Encouraged me to stay in school and to get then good letters
I wasn't a brainiac but I tried hard
Got to watch the Knicks play if I had a good report card
All types, all sorts
Disobeyed my dad and I couldn't play sports
I learned to dribble from right to left
I couldn't do a damn thang with all them F's
Age 15 father and son confrontation that's nothin
but father and son trials and tribulation
Back then I could under stand but I'm glad you did it
cause now I'm a man
He took me from a boy to a man so Phil is my father
cause my biological didn't bother

[Chorus] 

Look at me now successful for sure
Phil raised me well, to be an entrepeneur
and if your making big dope be materialistic
cause you'll end up another statistic
everything's going well following my dreams
I dunked on Patrick Ewing
I won the ring like hakeem
Uh oh what do you know
Biological ones on the Ricky Lake show
What does he want, does he want money
What people do for money!!!
It's kinda funny to me
He aint gettin no check from me (check it)
He can go on all the talk shows he want
Phil is my dad so dont even front
He took me from a boy to a man so Phil is my father
cause my biological didn't bother

[Chorus] 

[Common]
I spit feelings that soar over brick buildings
And get children and families to live better
Live whether rain or shine
Picture Com' free, is my frame of mind
My day combines from comedic to the gate of mines
Tastin my favorite wine, tryna stay divine
Realness around my neck, is my way to shine
I ain't made for time or age
My mind's a page that few can read
Made for you to breathe through the seeds I plant
Tear down Babylon, rebel missions
The hustler traditions carry on since Avalon parked dames
I battle long to spark days
Being the son that I am, got gramps offered ham for lint
She gave me the scriptures, told me to understand it
It's bug from my own planet I can see the sun
Waitin for the savior while I wait for me to come
I'm comin in the...

[Chorus] 2x
Rain, rain, go away
I need ya sometime but not today
I wanna live, play, run, in the suuuuun!

[Black Thought]
The language is mine, I take advantage of that
I'm like the ghetto thug B-Boys, Brittanica black
I gotta style that man-handle the track
Thought, Common, and Shaq, ya couldn't hold the animal back
Me, I been all emcee since like '73
In South Philly with the 'fridgerator empty
I know the feeling of the whole world against me
I know the feeling of the game tryna pimp me, for real
It never break me, or make me move the thing off safety
while I maintain control
Rather process the info than swallow it whole
You never bothered breakin the mold, you out in the cold
Trustin in a fake nigga cuz he act and joke
Stead of dealin with the ac-tual
Yo, too many hard times, detour signs, and tears
And the police stay livin in constant fear
Another gunfight, where? In the sunlight

[Chorus] 2x

[Shaquille]
It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up magazine
Now I reign supreme, sunshine hit the bling
Life; seen some of the strangest things
Fake niggaz and women, they tryna hit me for my cream
I touch a soul with this vision
I love to go back and re-live it cuz it seems so vivid
Before the money, and the fame, and the stardom
Before you schemed on Diesel, like what it cost em
Original, never ask where the style's from
And what about the haterz, that doubted the album
You didn't think B.I.G. could do it again
I'm top fifty with a ring, see I do it to win... (Heheh)
Now my name back on the streets
Name back in the jeeps
Can't tame my platinum speech
Ain't nuttin like being young and content
I'm comfortable with life, never worry where them chips is spent
Stop askin me about Kob'!
Y'all heard me say Twiz before, you seen the way I clutch the globe
Yo y'all niggaz ain't forget; the world is mine
I'm from the New Jeru's Brick City - and that's my sunshine

[Chorus] 2x