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lyrics

INTRO
This is Baba Bomani, and you know you I like to teach
Through storytelling, let me tell you about a speech
By Frederick Douglass, it’s the first he ever made
One of the reasons America is what it is to day
He told the story in his book, this is the Hip Hop version
I rap as Frederick Douglass, that means first person
Douglass said he was scared, but he was prepared
He knew slavery was wrong and he wanted people aware
CHORUS (2X)
Imma speak for me
Imma tell you how it is and how it’s supposed to be
Imma speak up for myself and for my community
Until everyone is free, Imma speak for me
VERSE 1
Before the tours of Europe with the reviews that were flattering
Before all the fresh pictures ‘cause I’m posing for the camera men
I was a laborer, digging, cutting, hauling, hammering
Before my first time on stage st st st stammering
REWIND! 1841 New Bedford Massachusetts
newly runaway slave, I stayed muted and secluded
I had an opportunity that was exclusive
You see I read the Liberator about slavery’s abuses
An abolition paper by William Lloyd Garrison
‘cause you can’t fight the problems until people are aware of them
He argued that slavery was immoral and embarrassing
Against everything that it meant to be American
Went to see him at a convention in Nantucket
Before he poured wisdom in our bucket, they asked me to share a nugget
As the only black man there I couldn’t duck it
I was nervous and afraid but, in the end, I said…sure
I’m an expert on the subject, I fought through the hesitating
my hands full of perspiration, the way my limbs were shaking
they found me fascinating ‘cause I was self-advocating
I’m different than Garrisons, I say this without hating
no matter the years of fighting slavery under his belt
Or the words he could speak in ways that could make your heart melt
A white man never dealt with what I dealt
He’ll never feel what I felt so I will speak for myself
CHORUS 2X
Before my first article and first book I became an
Advocate for abolition for my fellow African
Before I went out there, I made sure I had a Game plan
Wrote down all my ideas like I was doing a Brain scan
I’d pick up book after book and keep reading it and reading it
My appetite for knowledge I kept feeding it and feeding it
Throughout my life I kept believing it and achieving it
People around world were receiving it changing how they were perceiving it
It was easy for me I spoke about my passion
I want people to feel compassion for my people taking lashings
Living in impoverished fashion, living off meager rations
Ending slavery would be my ultimate satisfaction
After I do this reading and research
I need an audience of peers to try it with first
my safe space on earth, where I could rehearse
My speaking career was birthed in the Sunday school of the AME church
AME stands for African Methodist Episcopal
Founded by Richard Allen based on a basic principle
A church for Blacks who to white churches were inadmissible
a foundation for blacks both spiritual and political
Here I found my safe space to brainstorm and practice
I hope you feel the same in all your writing classes
You’ll get better with each repetition over time passes
To write a short passage, or speak out to the masses
CHORUS 2X

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from Baba Bomani's BeatBox Basement, released August 6, 2022

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Baba Bomani Washington, D.C.

Baba Bomani, aka the Watermelon man has been using hip-hop, poetry and multi-media disciplines to teach fun and informative workshops with all ages from kindergarteners to graduate students for well over 15 years Bomani . Here you can find his hip-hop music for kids as well as teaching materials showing students the writing process through hip-hop! ... more

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