[Verse 1] Aight c'mon, let's cut the bullshit enough, let's get it started Let's start addressin this issue and open it up Let's take this shit back to the basement and we can discuss statements that's made on this tape and this whole origin of the music that we all know and love, the music we all enjoy The music you accuse me of tryin to destroy Let's rewind it to eighty-nine, when I was a boy On the Eastside of Detroit, crossin 8 Mile into Warren In the hick territory, I'd like to share a story This is my story, and can't nobody tell it for me You have well informed me, and I'm well aware that I don't belong here, you've made that perfectly clear I get my ass, kicked damn near everywhere From Bel-Air Shoppin Center just for stoppin in there From the black side all the way to the white side Okay there's a bright side, a day that I might slide You may call it a pass, I call it haulin my ass Through that patch of grass over them railroad tracks Oh them railroad tracks, them old railroad tracks The good old notorious, so well known tracks

[Chorus: repeat 2X] So let's go back, follow the yellow brick road As we go on another episode Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place That I once used to call home sweet home

[Verse 2] I'd roam in the streets so much, they'd call me a drifter Sometimes I'd stick up a thumb just to hitchhike Just to get picked up, to get me a lift to 8 Mile and Van Dyke, or steal a God damn bike From somebody's backyard, and drop it off at the park That was the halfway mark, to me Kim had to walk Back to her momma's, from Chalmers, after dark To sneak me in the house, when I'm kicked out my mom's That's about the time, I first met Proof with Goofy Gary on the steps at Osbourne, handin out some flyers We was doin some talent shows at Centerline High I told him to stop by and check us some time He looked at me like I'm out my mind Shook his head, like white boys don't know to rhyme I spit out a line, and rhymed birthday with first place And we both had the same rhymes that sound alike We was on the same shit, that Big Daddy Kane shit With compound syllables sound combined From that day we was down to ride Somehow we knew we'd meet again somewhere down the line

[Chrous]

[Verse 3] My first year of ninth grade, can't forget that day of school It was cool, 'til your man MC Shan came through And said that "Puma's the brand, cause the Klan makes Troops" It was rumors, but man, God damn, they flew Must have been true, because man, we done banned they shoes I had the new ones, the Cool J, ice lamb, suede too But we just threw them in the trash, like they yesterday's news Guess who came through next, X-Clan debuted +Professor X+ ("Vanglorious") exist in a state of +red, black, and green with a KEY, SISSIES!+ Now with this bein the new trend, we don't fit in Crackers is out, with "Cactus Albums," blackness is in African symbols and medallions, represent black power And we ain't know what it meant, me and my man Howard and Butter would go to the mall with them all over our necks like we're showin 'em off Not knowin at all we was bein laughed at "You ain't even half black; you ain't 'posed to have that homey, let me grab that, and that Flava Flav clock we gon' have to snatch that," all I remember is meetin back at Manics's basement, sayin how we hate this How racist but dope the X-Clan's tape is Which reminds me, back in eighty-nine me and Kim broke up for the first time, she was tryin to two-time me And there was this black girl at our school who thought I was cool cause I rapped, so she was kinda eyein me And oh, the irony, guess what her name was Ain't even gonna say it plus, the same color hair as hers was And blue contacts, and a pair of jugs The bombest God damn girl in our whole school If I could pull it, not only would I become more popular But I would be able to piss Kim off at the same time But it backfired, I was supposed to dump her But she dumped me for this black guy, and that's the last I ever seen or heard or spoke to the "Ol' Foolish Pride" girl But I've heard people say they heard the tape, and it ain't that bad But it was, I singled out a whole race And for that I apologize (apologize) I was wrong (was wrong) Cause no matter what color a girl is she's still a ho

[Chorus]

[Outro] Shut the fuck up, you fuckin pieces of shit! Get the fuck away from me you big fuckers!