Gentrification - Deniro Farrar

It’s called gentrification

It’s what happens when the property value of a certain area is brought down

Huh?

You listening?

To bring the property value down

They can buy the land at a lower price

Then they move all the people out

Raise the property value

And sell it at a profit

I’m just a boy from the hood

I feel like Furious Styles

Gentrification in our ghetto this nation is ours

We built this shit

Yeah, yeah we built this shit

Losing our ghetto but we don’t even know it

Only use the curb for the liquor we pawn

Nigga got shot now it’s time to mourn

Is what it is baby life move on

Gotta love struggle cause it made me strong

Whole Foods in the hood now the rent got raised

But I’m still living off minimum wage

Nigga can’t even afford to stay

Next thing you know they gon' own the block

Shit too high for the mom and pop

Stores we was raised on on the block

Now we gotta make way for a coffee shop

Can’t take shit so they buy the land

Living next door to the fireman

And a couple with a dog but they don’t even speak

Walking round acting like they better than me

Cause they make six figures with a college degree

I grew up around Hades and apartments to me

Steady jacking up the price but you gotta be cheap?

Motherfuckers ain’t fooling me

I love my skin and I love my soul

We was all slaves that’s the lie they told

We started out kings with diamonds and gold

But they took our shit baby ain’t that cold?

Where we gon' live if it ain’t the hood?

Can’t move up cause a nigga poor

Still in a recession and the jobs is low

Only other option is slang some blow

Three strike rule better think again

Kicking us out and they moving in

Pushing us all to the side of the city

Full of liquor stores and the water’s shitty

School fucked up they don’t teach the kids

Bout who they is or what we did

Alien ain’t build them pyramids

We the ones started the beauty supply

People bought it out now prices are high

Everything around me gentrified

Better wake up nigga open your eyes

Go and get high then you eat Popeyes

But there ain’t enough time to lay on our side

Cross they fingers cause they hope we die

Must’ve forgot we was born to survive

Only in the hood when you need a vote

Or fucking our women in exchange for dope

Same old shit it ain’t changing though

Feeling like God my only hope

We are African

And we happen to be in America

We’re not American

We are a people who formerly were African who were kidnapped and brought to

America

We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock

The rock was landed on us