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If you wondered how I fund my hip hop habit...
lyrics
First things first I, Baba, mwalimu wa watoto/
Fa’sho, with my pro flow/
since the days of Madness and HOBO/
Ice Box and Taj Mahal for Go-go’s/
Waiting for the conga solo
drums make heart race like the logos on your Polo
where Chocolate City turns to hot coco
keep it bouncing like a pogo
somethings you got to do when you’re local
like eat fries with mambo, or jone on Tony Romo
I rep DC to PG, uptown to Upper Marlboro
no part of DC or MD I won’t go
no part of my beautiful blackness that I won’t show
I’m CNN, between NORE and Chris Cuomo
capture a thousand words of one photo
kindergarten is time lapse, prison time happens slomo
I’ve taught both so, I got theories, here they go
these lil bros with no dough
Ain’t pressed to bring the Bagg-in like Frodo
Or walk brick roads with their dogs like Todo
Yeah they listen to trap rap like it’s a job promo
Iife on edge, the slightest thing put them into go mode
They just want a home though
Where men express love no need to say “no homo”
So I rewrite the bro-code
Wrap kids in culture like Basotho from Lesotho
Hear a reference that you don’t know?
whats Google’s on your phone for?
been teaching kids since 94,
as a high school sophomore
Up at Largo back when a “moe” was a “joe”
Boys & Girls Club with Daryl and Carlos
“Can’t You See” like that single from Total
If you paint a future for students that’s hopeful
marinate students in love like it's adobo
you can show bros what Bo knows and girls to be Flo-jo
So I put their message to a dope flow
I’ll say it again, though you’ve heard it all before
in the wrong environment the seeds won’t grow
ask a fish to climb a tree, it’s talents won’t show
give a musician their instrument, BOOM! Virtuoso
this ain'y theory that I’m speaking, I know so
I learned from an Optimist with a capital O
Took kids from Bell, Dunbar, Ellington and Cardozo
an after-school program turned hip hop Dojo
new age griot, art integration mogul
proving it with metrics or even anecdotal
Now the hip-hop dr. Seuss, “All the Places We Will Go”
Frederick, Hartford, Baltimo, Anne Arundel, Moco,
St. Mary’s, Charles, Worcester, Wicomico,
Coming to America like Eddie and Arsenio
To tell your child their mind is drippin’ so let your Soul glow
Our foes chase No Dose with Four Locos
Use their waking moments to put out kids in choke holds
my mind is my nine, my pens my Mack 10, vocals
kick in the do’ waving the four-four
all you heard is "Baba Mwalimu wa Watoto!"
Look it up if you don't know
First things first, I Baba Mwalimu wa Watoto
credits
from The Watermelon Man,
released August 1, 2020
Written by Bomani Armah, DeLa Armah and Olu Armah
Produced, mixed and mastered by Bomani Armah
Drums by DeLa Armah
Bass by Olu Armah
Keys by Bomani Armah
Mastered by William Vaughan IV
