Yo I lived in a lot of different hoods I called home
Made lots of different observations
When I walk around my hood I see
Smiles
Different styles
People getting loud
Inches turned to miles
Hungry mouths
Waddup money buddy pal
People under crowns
People under clouds
People 'round
People runnin' wild
When I walk around my hood I see
Dogs cats birds
People going to work
They'll do that and worse for the last word
Might have heard
Lots of people wallowing in hurt
Lots of people following the herd
When I walk around my hood I see
Fat burners on brick walls
As fat burn
Fast learners that break laws
Block regulars in the same place on different days
Latter day saints catching rays
When I walk around my hood I see
Tree lined aves
Weeds and grass
Fast cash from weed, trees, grass
Gracias
Seen a kid holding a wheelie on a bike without a front tire
While wearing a backpack
Sneakers on a black wire
Elmhurst
Satellite
Sunset
Satellite
Lower East
Satellite
Satellite, Satellite
Uptown
Satellite
Sunnyside
Satellite
Sutphin
Satellite, Satellite
When I walk around my hood I see
Broken hopes
Smoking dope
Eyes looking comatose
People on line for a okie doke
Joy, art
Beauty manifesting out the madness it's a blessing just to take part
When I walk around my hood I see
Buses and trains
Brothers that train like Clubber Lang
Trying to get a shot
Trying to find a spot
Myriad ingredients for flavoring the melting pot
Busy running around around the clock
When I walk around my hood I see
The brightest and the best
And cars with speakers in the back
Enough to give you cardiac arrest
Look
I do confess that playing it by the book
Will have you on the hook for nothing more and nothing less
When I walk around my hood I see
Churches
Without the piety
Every variety of this and that to purchase
Flags
People flag down cabs
Lots of moving parts popping
Shopping carts of can filled bags
Elmhurst
Satellite
Sunset
Satellite
Lower East
Satellite
Satellite, Satellite
Uptown
Satellite
Sunnyside
Satellite
Sutphin
Satellite, Satellite
When I walk around my hood I see
Laughter and debate
And lots of ads
And posture saying "not-so-fast"
When I walk around my hood I see
Lots of Jordan's
I do admit such uniformity's exceptionally boring
When I walk around my hood I see
Laws
Not too many lawnmowers
Effect and cause and corner stores
When I walk around my hood I see
Jedis and padawans
FedEx and Amazon
When I walk around my hood I see
The spectrum of the matter that exists
Lots of black lives matter fists
Not that that matter's fixed
Recruiters saying "Hi" not worried if die
When I enlist and water from the fire hydrant mist
What a mix
It can't be recreated in a pic
It can't be recreated in a flick
Or in a gif
What you see is not as much as what you missed
But what a gift that what you see is what you get
Elmhurst
Satellite
Sunset
Satellite
Lower East
Satellite
Satellite, Satellite
Uptown
Satellite
Sunnyside
Satellite
Sutphin
Satellite, Satellite