I come from the blood on my father's hands
I rise for the different people who don't love themselves
I stand against the empty pots in homes all over
I come from the violence of the streets
I rise for the revolution poverty is done and over
I stand against gangs and thier blood
I come from the bars of my brothers jail cell
I rise from the love of my family and friends
I stand against the lock on my window
I come from democracy a nation as free as a blue jay
I rise for love and all the people without it
I stand against cheap things in life that fall apart
I come from poetry the way my words blend together
I rise for change in society and myself
I stand against control over children's mind's
I come from a swollen eye makes you tough
I rise for the creative style we all have
I stand against fist that hit the pavement after a fight
I come from rappers that make it big rapping about things that dont seem right
I rise for the color red and erasing the nightmarish images away
I stand against slavery and its history
I come from where having a boyfriend could be good or disastrous
I rise for freedom and the idea it belongs to everyone
I stand against truth being the hardest thing to find