STATE OF THE HOOD: Real World

This is the piece I performed at the "State of the Hood" event on April 4th 2008.

I'm sick of pledging to the enemy. I'm sick of being forced to watch so many other foolish souls do the same thing, minus the honesty and plus a world of caffeinated drinks, urbanized media, lies from head to toe, and frantic twitching during a moment of sublime silence. Let me take a moment to honor past dreams, ideals much later than the ten o'clock news, cause none of that shit is all true. I'm not abusing, I'm just musing. Just pull me out of my sentiency for long enough to recognize those children smiling at what will become grim before long. It's like moving to a new town the second you turn 13.

Welcome to Real World. Population: not enough to change your mind, too many to change anything else.

Now we may look like the same people, but we do things a little differently. In the Real World, you are who you are, but the crash box will tell you you are fat, in bad living conditions, poor, and uncool, and also their only valued customer. In the Real World, people will eat you out of house, home and womanhood, just because of their jealous needs for all three. And in the Real World, Spider Man didn't make it out of that burning building in time. Good things don't happen to good people anymore, you must be stuck in the 80s. Where the sellouts were nameless, pointless and showless, and Music Television dealt with real musicians and real music. Where wars would fight for peace instead of leaving our rights in pieces. Where turbulence can shake the past off so sweet, and doesn't shake your ass out your seat.

But who am I to interrupt your fantasies? Ignorance is bliss. So you eat your steak and continue not giving a goddamn. Let's drink to health, let's smoke to safety, let's fuck for virginity, and leave the second guessing to the philosophers. I know the media puts on a face for us, but who cares? I know that I matter, the radio told me so!

And at least this way, I won't have to feel betrayed when the old-fashioned sellouts stab me in the back. Cause in the Real World, we all struggle, for holy and unholy hustles. This is my world, and the state of the hood is in such disgrace that I gotta make that mine too. I can't and I won't live a lie.

Not this time.