Born in N.Y.C - Cappadonna

I was born in New York City, September 18th

In a Jewish hospital in Brooklyn, my body was clean

I was known as a bastard child, and my pop left early

Muthafucka, I ain’t know his style

I was raised by my step-dad, that’s my father

A good married man, plus kept a revolver

Taught me not to hit ladies out, I don’t really need 'em

Never trust 'em hoes, know how to read them

And my step-father split, I was out on my own

I was only 17, but I thought I was grown

I sold crack before I got my hands on the chrome

At the same time, I had chicks giving me dome

My girl claiming she virgin, not wanting to bone

I did a one-to-three for cracks, and I came back home

Seeded my girl up, but I was still on the roam

I was out in Body Brighton, straight marking holmes

Me and my nigga RSC, that’s my doolah debt brother

We held each other down, watch out for undercovers

Eight months later, got knocked again

Praying the lord lift me up, I got dropped again

Cops took my crack money, stopped again

Then they put me in the cell, and they locked me in

My good girl turned savage, and she whopped my friend

I did the bid, came down on work release

Cut my girlfriend off, start working the streets

Hustlin', doing whatever so my seed could eat

My girl didn’t get along, we always had beef

Me and my seed relationship started to get weak

Rapping at the same time, started to get deep

My life got crazier, then I out stand it

A year and a half later, my crib is surrounded

I slipped off lovely, now I’m up in the Bronx

One the Grand Concourse, that’s up in New York

Police scaring my mother, and they was calling the fort

Harassing my peoples, cuz they want me in court

So I turned myself in, they staight sent me to Sing-Sing

I ain’t new to this shit, though, I be doing my thing-thing

So I did my violation, kid, nine in the mohawk

Where niggas cut niggas and them dogs show off

I bugged out for a minute, they put me in the box

Kid, I did my time in jail, I carried my ox

Never fronting where I come from, I carried my block

Now I’m back on the set, and my darts is hot

Same time my Wu-Tang niggas started to pop

I was battling these MC’s, way before that joint called Ice Cream

Land, and you couldn’t understand, how I claim my spot

Razor Sharp Records signed me up, straight off cop

I was shooting videos now and mixing the drinks

Me and my dogs Rae & Ghost dropped a joint called Cuban Linx

Mad groupie love, minage’s and minks

On the down low, my rep started to get bigger

Everybody that didn’t know me was like «whose that nigga?»

Next thing you know, here comes The Pillage

Hit you in the head, ramsack ya village

Way before you rappers, turned into killers

The Five Percent Nation had the game on Knowledge of Self

To showin' all of ya niggas how to get the dollars for delf

A lot of ya’ll smart niggas went to college for health

But I’m ghetto all of my life, my cards were dealt

Might slump you over my paper, fuck the belt

I’mma keep spittin' my darts, til my words are felt

Poppy Wardrobe King, ya’ll ain’t know how to dress

I told ya’ll in Winter Warz, I was Staten Island’s best

Never told you the story though, I was taking a rest

How I started blowing up, niggas getting upset

Yo, I’m known as Original, in my projects

I’m known as Cappadonna, in my projects

And I’m try’nna write something, my readers could digest

The Yin & Yang came different, I began to fall

Problems with my click, it’s no longer all for all

Me and my Baltimore niggas, ready to brawl

So we slipped up in the gate, like Taj Mahal

The Clan was on the stage, they was holding the ball

Then Ghost gave me the mic, my verse got avoided

Me, Dust Dap' and Ed, was paranoided

The money might of made it, but the money destroyed it

The rumors circled how the Clan, they dissed Summer Jam

Rose up against the system, we all got banned

Some of the lost generation don’t know who I am

I’m on that Theodore shit, like I told you I can

From crack sales to grams, the guns, the fams

Weeds, the ecst' pills, plus crushin' the fans

I see where them idiots be tuckin' they hands

That’s why I’m always on the grind, never ducking my plans