Coronation - Masta Ace

Good evening

I would like to welcome family, friends and faculty

To the 1984 commencement ceremony for Sheepshead Bay High School

To the seniors I want to say: «congratulations»

I know today feels like the end of of a long journey

But it’s actually only the beginning

Today is the first day of the rest of your lives

My moms said: «you looked great in your cap and gown»

Life’s daring me to fight but I ain’t backing down

I got travel plans in minivans and caravans and 747's but I’ll still be coming

back around

And while I’m out there, can’t act a clown

I won’t be on the block, so I don’t have to frown

Man, the world so beautiful and colorful

It a be a shame if I only saw black and brown

So I look at my horizons and broaden them

It’s so surprising or according to them

I should be dead or incarcerated

Or strung out, but I’ve come out and of course I made it

Yeah, despite all the naysayers

I just leave it up to God when i say prayers

From this day forward I will vow

To always cut through the bullshit like cake layers

And rise above it all, way above it all

Life can be a mix bad, I gotta love it all

That’s what they told me at the podium

Don’t let them ever hold you like imodium

Stay loose, be ready when your time come

Stay alert, be ready when the sign come

Cause you don’t wanna miss your calling

Stay in tune while the balloons are in the mist of falling

Tracy Bird, Jolanda Brisbane, Breigh Brooks

Fred Caprista, John Chesney, Duval Clear

Norris Coburn, Jolanda Donald, Phil Dresman

Yanick Dasier, David Dopkin, Dean Evans

Joseph Diembalgo, Starmanye Green, Roger Holly

Veranda Jones, Kristina Johnson, Jackie Lee

Of course my momma here and my nana here

My father not, he’s somewhere in a can of beer

My uncle Marvin here, my other family not

Please listen to this little caveat

«One day you will have to piss and won’t have a pot

But there may come a day when you have a lot»

Whoever don’t support you when you young, when you grown they may try to check

you out like the Marriott

It’s up to you if you hold a grudge

To me, it’s like water off a duck’s back

My mentality is fuck that

Without them I was still gone get off like I know the judge

And I am not the one that sold the drugs

Me and that life is no correlation

I got accepted to a university, they probably cursing me

But this is my coronation

Tony Lewis, Lorraine Ledgeman, Margo DeWitt

Corine Mattedean, Michael McColin, Kenneth McFadder

Craig McWin, Steward Minklewitz, Patricia Murroh

Harold Neil, Arleen Pennington, Karen Price

Gwendolyn Roach, Larry Robin, Curtis Scott

Michael Stark, Michael Walker, Saul Weisberg

Michael Zepparetto

Seniors, please move your tassels to the other side of your hat

To commemorate these rites of passage

«You are now all high school graduates, congratulations»