The Crown
Gary Byrd & The Gb Experience Lyrics

People of the world wherever you be
Greetings to all people worldwide.

Welcome to Cosmic University.
Welcome to a place where the exploration of the universe and its mysteries takes place.

Where life is the journey and love is the trip
Emphasizing that life is a life-long journey and love is its essence.

And the study of them will make you hip.
Encouraging exploring life and love will make you enlightened and insightful.

I'm professor of the rap and when I speak
Claiming to be an accomplished rapper and skilled linguist.

I guarantee that my lines will not be weak.
Asserting the quality of his craftsmanship and skills as a rapper.

They say a mind is a terrible thing to waste
Quoting the saying that emphasizes wasting a person's potential and creativity is a shame.

That's why I'm here and on the case.
Indicating that he is determined to make the most of his potential and inspire others to do the same.

Rapping up every mind with a special degree in socio-psycholo G.B.E.
Using music to give each listener an education in social and psychological aspects of life through the Gary Byrd Experience.

The Gary Byrd Experience is my course
Refers to his music program as a course of study.

When you take my class you will feel the force.
Suggesting that by listening to his music there will be emotional, intellectual, and healing benefits.

'Cause I know the roots that the rap is from
Stating his authority and knowledge on the historical and cultural origins of rap music.

When I speak to you I am not dumb.
Arguing that he is intelligent and articulate in his use of language and music.

Hear my rap and begin to dance
Invites the audience to dance and enjoy the rhythm of his music.

And I promise you this you will advance.
Promising that his music will have an enlightening and progressive effect on listeners.

You may have seen the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Referencing the popular adventure film.

But you still left the theater in the dark
Stating that the movie experience is incomplete without more important and insightful knowledge.

So clap your hands to the beat as the Wonder sound
Inviting the audience to enjoy the music and clap along to the music.

And the G.B.E. shine on the Crown.
Stating his band's light shines on the metaphorical crown, which represents the excellence in the cultural heritage he celebrates.

You wear the Crown
Using the word 'crown' to symbolize the pride and strength of black history and the black community.

I wear the Crown
Asserting that he, too is proud of his heritage and participates in the legacy of black culture.

So proud to say that we all wear the Crown
Stating that everyone, regardless of their origin, should be proud and celebrate diversity and the contributions of all cultures.

I do recall so very well
Reminiscing on his past.

When I was just a little boy
A more specific part of his reminiscing where he addresses his childhood.

I used to hurry home from school
Explaining a routine from his childhood.

I used to always feel so blue
Admitting he experienced a certain level of sadness during his childhood.

Because there was no mention in the books
Acknowledging insufficient representation of black history in literature.

We read about my heritage.
Stating his historical and cultural roots.

So therefore any information that I got was education.
Relaying to the audience the residual information he learned from the living stories and legacies of his heritage.

Bums, Hobos at depot stations
Describing who he learned from due to lack of representation in books and education.

I would listen with much patience
Sharing the fact that he listened intently and remembered what he heard from his informants.

Or to relatives who told the tales that they were told to pass ahead.
Also taking into account what his family had shared with him throughout the years.

And then one day from someone old
A change to the previously established routine in his storytelling.

I heard a story never told
Illustrating the novel information he received from this particular story.

Of all the kingdoms of my people
Introducing the audience to the richness of his heritage.

And then how we fought for freedom
Reviewing a significant part of his heritage where his people fought and triumphed.

All about the many things we have unto the world contributed.
Celebrating his rich heritage and its potential and refinement they brought to the world.

It's not Star Wars
Making comparisons to popular movies to explain that his experiences and heritage is not fictional or fantasy, but rather, grounded in reality and facts.

It's not Superman
Comparing the idea of his heritage to popular comic book character Superman as a way to illustrate his pride and distinguish it from fantasy entertainment.

It's not the story of the Ku-Klux-Klan.
Creating a correlation between his heritage and the story of the Ku-Klux-Klan as an alternate version of proud and powerful group identity.

The crown will appear in the G.B.E.
Referring to the central theme throughout his music related to the discovery, understanding, and protection of cultural heritage.

But it's never seen on your T.V.
Describing that despite the intense focus on television, the message that the crown embodies is often suppressed by network interests and bias.

It's in black and white in your gold mind
The notion that the information is perennial and always available within a person's mind.

A picture so old it defies time.
Describing how old the story behind the heritage is, and the fact that the tradition has transcended time.

Alex Haley drew it in his book
Author Alex Haley wrote the book Roots, the story of a slave and his descendants through generations.

It's what Kunta kept in his other foot.
The crown of dignity passed down through the generations symbolized through Kunta Kinte, a slave from the book Roots.

Ghana Songhay and old Mali
Referencing three ancient kingdoms in Africa.

They are the roots of your own family tree.
Implying that his audience all came from a shared heritage from African lineages.

Kingdom so vast and knowledge-wise
Impressing upon the audience of the empire's vast reach and wealth of knowledge.

They removed cataracts from human eyes.
Illustrating the advanced capabilities of medicine during the time of these kingdoms.

And yet today some refuse to see
Noting that while remnants of the culture are present, some refuse to accept and acknowledge this history.

And live in fear of their discovery.
Suggesting that some resist this knowledge and discovery of their ancestry due to fear.

Now in fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed to ocean - true.
A vast contrast to previous statements in the song, instead referencing the well-known dates of Christopher Columbus's voyage due to its impact on history.

But years before in Alkebu a ship set sail with a chocolate crew.
Juxtaposing the famous Columbus voyage with an African crew that sailed Alkebu (an African kingdom) prior to the famous voyage.

2000 years before Columbo came
Illustrating a significant amount of time that was overlooked in historical accounts.

The Olmecs paid tribute to their fame.
Underscoring the influence of African culture over early American civilization.

Stone heads with faces eight feet high
Describing ancient artifacts left behind by early American cultures that bear striking resemblance to African ethnicities.

That the Hulk could not lift to his thigh
Using hyperbole to illustrate the difficulty of these structures being hewn by primitive tools.

Though the facts historians avoid.
Indicating that there exists a willful avoidance of these truths

First to arrive was the Africoid.
Positing that the first people to reach America were of African descent.

It may shock the House and Shockley too
Challenging common viewpoints on history and culture.

And if you're not prepared, it may shock you
Warning that information presented, taken out of context and revelation, may intimidate some listeners.

While some had doubts that the world was round.
Referencing the doubts and uncertainty of the world's shape that existed historically.

In America guess who wore the Crown.
Leading listeners to understand that despite cultural variations across the world, the Americas also were governed and enriched by their citizens of African heritage.

Get down.
Directing listeners to continue enjoying the music.