Twenty cent soda pops at the corner block.

Big kids jammin’ to the sound of hip hop.

All kids running round town with high tops.

Teen girls walking round the hood with crop tops.

Teens boys tryna’ pick up all shorty rocks.

Hitten’ the record store to listen to Kurtis Blow.

Saw him Saturday on The Soul Train show.

These are ‘The Breaks’ for all yall who didn’t know.

The past was a real fun time for me though.

Neighbor playing Three Card Monte on the stoop.

I don’t play, cause all the players get duped.

See the same girl’s double dutch every week.

Fire hydrants are the sprinklers of our streets.

Being a rapper now is the latest thing.

Spitting out rhymes because you cannot sing.

Block parties last real long in the night.

Still, I gotta be home before they turn out the street lights.

Got kicked out the corner store a couple of times.

Soda cost twenty, but I only had one dime.

Everyone knew everyone who lived in block.

Friends and enemies gathered at the same spot.

Sometimes at the park people would hold barbecues.

Ain’t really know ‘em but they still gave me some food.

The streets are tough, and can be rough,

But there’s still lots of love.

 

Ray, the best dad on the block,

Has a family to take care of.

And little Keisha’s real smart.

She’ll make it real big one day.

Support each other, promote each other.

That’s how we all stay.

They said write something that is awesome to me.

My neck of the woods is the most awesome place to be.