Where I'm from...

So you ask me who I am,
I’m a product of my environment,

I’m from a place where Originality is on the lack,
Where your stared at, talked about, and labeled a weirdo if your different,
Where girls idolize Beyonce and boys idolize Jay-Z,
Where the same 8 songs are played on the radio and you can’t help but know the lyrics,

I’m from Blocks in Philly where dudes try to holla at everything with a female s*x organ,
A place where “yo shorty let me holla at chu” and everything is called a “jawn,” even ppl,
A place where girls enjoy the attention because they lack attention at home,
A place where the girl who doesn’t give it up to everybody gets the most respect,

I’m from a culture where “Street Smarts” are respected more than “Book Smarts” on any day,
Where you have to know something about the streets in order to survive,
Where the Black Hustler is respected more than the community Black Entrepreneur,
Where every block comes out with there own CD hating on the other blocks,

I’m from a everyday where we were content with living below our means,
A place where dinner was oodles of noodles with butter and seasoning salt,
A place where the clothes line was hanging in the backyard,
A place where our home security system was “Yo, who is dat!”

I’m from Talib Kweli’s “Life’s Beautiful Struggle,”
Where all you can do is depend on God cause life was always too much to bare,
Where Mom-mom sung gospel hymns in the kitchen while pouring old grease in a cup to use agian,
Where Mom-mom prayed constantly in the day and in the midnight hour for the future generations who appeared not to have morals.

I’m from a place where dudes either rap or play ball,
Where all the girls do each other’s hair and are quick to glue or sew weave in,
Where if some reggae come on, you can’t help but get out of your seat and shake something,
Where Moms and Pops play the lottery in hope for a better future for them and their kids,

I’m from a church where everybody in the congregation was family with one of the ministers,
Where the young could lay across the pew and fall asleep,
Where when the music came on their was tantalizing tongues, serious shout, and hard hand claps filled the air,
Where we couldn’t afford to give in the $100 dollar line, but rather dollars,
I’m from a house where church gave us the feelings that everything was going to be okay,
I’m from a family of strong females, I’m from my mom’s compassionate spirit, I’m from God’s Mercy for saving me from my surroundings, I’m from God’s Grace for making me strange to people, but usual for him.