Tale Of Two Cities
9th Wonder/Murs Lyrics

There’s two sides to my city, a red side and a blue side to my city
My city is divided into two sides, one associated with the color red and the other with the color blue

Too many died in my city, imagine if we all unified in my city
There have been too many deaths in my city and it would be better if everyone came together in unity

Black and did the sandals with the stripes
Describing the author's fashion style in a poetic way

Sucks poured it up on west coast and for life
Talking about drinking Sizzurp on the west coast region of the US

On my way to the store on the little homie’s bike
Narrating a story about riding a young friend's bike

And I don’t break a sweat, I let the young niggas fight
Not getting involved in young people's fights

I done earned my stripes, knows you might lose your life on any given night
Having gained respect through life experiences and knowing that danger is always present

Them black and white cars
Referring to police cars

Them dudes inside, they from streets like ours,
Noting that police officers come from similar backgrounds as those they are policing

So they hop out with their guns drawn
Police officers are often quick to reach for their guns when responding to incidents

Make us lay down on the front lawn
Police officers force people to lay down on their front lawns during an arrest

Nights takes palms to the holding cell, we hope we make bail body dawn.
Being arrested and taken to jail, hoping to make bail before the morning

That’s what really goes on,
Describing the reality of the situation

Where’s Bunch and Carter, man it’s been too long
Wondering where old friends have gone and how much time has passed

Geronimo, Gijagga, hope Obama free Assad and we just doing what we gotta
Mentioning historical figures and hoping for political change while continuing to just do what is necessary to survive

Shout out to Tooky Williams, shout out to Timmy Rogers,
Giving shoutouts to individuals who are doing their best in tough circumstances

Shout out to all the homies locked down with no fathers
Encouraging and recognizing those who are locked up and without a father figure

We got a lot of problems, seen a lot of drama
Acknowledging the many problems and dramas in life

Some believe in Jesus if you, few of you believe in karma
Not everyone has the same belief system, some believe in Jesus while others believe in karma

We got daughters, a couple baby mamas
Having daughters and being a father to multiple children with different mothers

But love can’t compete with the power of a dollar,
Acknowledging the power that money has over love in some situations

You see overseas is what they built their Impalas
Noting that in other countries, people are able to afford luxury cars while people in the author's city are working on the streets

While we’re working in these streets ’cause their job’s not promised
Having to work hard on the streets because finding a stable job is not guaranteed

Graduate to a key, become a street scholar
Going from street life to drug dealing and becoming knowledgeable about the streets

’Cause red and blue rags are the new blue color,
Gangs affiliated with the colors red and blue have become a normal part of life

It’s hard to swallow, make me wanna holla
The situation is difficult to accept and can make one want to scream in frustration

But you came here my voice, the radio don’t bother
Acknowledging the power of his music and message despite the negative influence of the radio

Could play the positive I give you knowledge on the whole west coast
Offering positivity and knowledge through music about the entire west coast region

There ain’t one black college
Noting that there is no college dedicated to serving the black community

Wonder why we got problems without knowledge of yourself
Suggesting the root cause of problems is a lack of self-awareness

Is impossible to solve em
Stating that without self-awareness, problems cannot be solved

The land of smog and earthquakes
Describing the environmental conditions of the city

Thought I’d be dead bout my 21st birthday
Believing that it was unlikely to survive past the age of 21

Dead cars, we ride dirty because the blocks hot
Driving in old and worn out cars because the police are suspicious of newer cars

Kevlar under E-bock of Jerseys the block shots
Wearing Kevlar under a jersey to protect against gunshots

When you went to a city that’s never known when to redistrict just so they can cut us out of the staple center
When the city knew how to redistrict to remove the black community from the Staples Center

That’s less funding for schools
Lack of funding for schools due to redistricting

Now the kids with the guns make the rules,
Young people with guns are controlling the environment and setting the rules

Hunger games, battle royal, Lord of the flies
Referencing popular books/movies that depict people fighting against each other for survival

The city’s re-born while more of us die,
The city continues to grow and thrive while people die due to violence and other issues

Gentrified, genocide, everywhere the winter’s hot
The process of gentrification is leading to the death and displacement of the black community

Watch a local business start to wonder why the kitchens rise
Local businesses are unable to keep up with rent increases and may have to shut down

We use music as release, has a zulu wash her teeth so I do it over beats
Using music as a means of release and storytelling

The future’s in our reach, find solutions to the beef
The future is within reach and it's important to find solutions to the problems

Get every shooter in the streets to ride for universal beast
Mobilizing everyone in the streets to work towards a common goal of unity