Keep Ya Head Up

[00:00.60] Little somethin' for my godson Elijah and a little girl named Corinne

[00:10.10] Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

[00:12.84] I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots

[00:15.60] I give a holler to my sisters on welfare

[00:18.18] Tupac cares, if don't nobody else care

[00:21.43] And uh, I know they like to beat ya down a lot

[00:24.24] When you come around the block brothas clown a lot

[00:27.24] But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up

[00:30.00] Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up

[00:33.25] And when he tells you you ain't nuttin' don't believe him

[00:35.99] And if he can't learn to love you, you should leave him

[00:39.01] 'Cause sista you don't need him

[00:40.83] And I ain't tryin' to gas ya up, I just call 'em how I see 'em

[00:44.57] You know it makes me unhappy (what's that)

[00:46.56] When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy

[00:50.16] And since we all came from a woman

[00:52.17] Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman

[00:55.90] I wonder why we take from our women

[00:57.65] Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?

[01:01.40] I think it's time to kill for our women

[01:03.41] Time to heal our women, be real to our women

[01:06.68] And if we don't we'll have a race of babies

[01:08.90] That will hate the ladies, that make the babies

[01:12.46] And since a man can't make one

[01:14.48] He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one

[01:17.72] So will the real men get up

[01:19.72] I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up

[01:22.31] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier

[01:27.89] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter

[01:33.51] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier

[01:39.11] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter

[01:44.46] Aiyyo, I remember Marvin Gaye, used to sing to me

[01:47.68] He had me feelin' like black was tha thing to be

[01:50.76] And suddenly tha ghetto didn't seem so tough

[01:53.29] And though we had it rough, we always had enough

[01:56.26] I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules

[01:59.02] Ran with the local crew, and had a smoke or two

[02:02.59] And I realize momma really paid the price

[02:04.34] She nearly gave her life, to raise me right

[02:08.11] And all I had to give her was my pipe dream

[02:10.45] Of how I'd rock the mic, and make it to tha bright screen

[02:13.82] I'm tryin' to make a dollar out of fifteen cents

[02:16.87] It's hard to be legit and still pay your rent

[02:19.62] And in the end it seems I'm headin' for tha pen

[02:21.37] I try and find my friends, but they're blowin' in the wind

[02:24.59] Last night my buddy lost his whole family

[02:26.87] It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity

[02:30.36] It seems tha rain'll never let up

[02:32.37] I try to keep my head up, and still keep from gettin' wet up

[02:35.87] You know it's funny when it rains it pours

[02:38.12] They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor

[02:41.40] Said it ain't no hope for the youth and the truth is

[02:44.40] It ain't no hope for tha future

[02:46.96] And then they wonder why we crazy

[02:48.97] I blame my mother, for turning my brother into a crack baby

[02:52.74] We ain't meant to survive, 'cause it's a setup

[02:55.03] And even though you're fed up

[02:56.54] Huh, ya got to keep your head up

[02:57.16] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier

[03:02.65] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter

[03:08.42] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things are gonna get easier

[03:13.64] Keep ya head up, ooh, child, things'll get brighter

[03:19.23] And uh

[03:19.74] To all the ladies havin' babies on they own

[03:22.25] I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin' all alone

[03:25.03] Daddy's long gone and he left you by ya lonesome

[03:27.78] Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want 'em

[03:32.11] 'Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure

[03:34.37] And if you fall, stand tall and comeback for more

[03:37.17] 'Cause ain't nothin' worse than when your son

[03:39.48] Wants to kno' why his daddy don't love him no mo'

[03:42.41] You can't complain you was dealt this

[03:44.46] Hell of a hand without a man, feelin' helpless

[03:47.69] Because there's too many things for you to deal with

[03:50.01] Dying inside, but outside you're looking fearless

[03:53.34] While the tears, is rollin' down your cheeks

[03:55.95] Ya steady hopin' things don't all down this week

[03:59.44] 'Cause if it did, you couldn't take it, and don't blame me

[04:02.45] I was given this world I didn't make it

[04:04.94] And now my son's gettin' older and older and cold

[04:08.20] From havin' the world on his shoulders

[04:10.71] While the rich kids is drivin' Benz

[04:12.70] I'm still tryin' to hold on to my survivin' friends

[04:15.96] And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but

[04:19.44] Please, you got to keep your head up