Family Tree
Naughty By Nature Lyrics

Sometimes because of jealousy and the intent to demise
At times, due to spite or envy, certain groups or individuals must be eliminated to prevent their harm.

Certain factions have to be forbidden or destroyed
These groups must be outlawed or eradicated altogether.

Fire has to be sent to the poisoned forest
In order to remove the harmful forest, fire must be applied to the area.

With the root of fresh trees planted elsewhere
To rejuvenate the land, new trees must be planted elsewhere with the proper roots.

Only then will you obtain a wilderness
After following the procedure above, the environment will become a thriving wilderness.

That cannot be penetrated, petrified family tree
The resulting landscape will be impenetrable like a petrified family tree.

See what started as a family forest
The previous natural setting was a forest inhabited by family groups.

Got cut to a family tree with the limbs
The forest was reduced to a family tree with branches.

And the leaves lookin' at the world for answers
The remaining leafs or individuals who remained seek knowledge and guidance from the world.

The world points to the sun and the sun says
The world, specifically the sun, offers an answer to their question.

The answers in me, so I search through the darkness
The answer lies in the sun, so they continue to search despite the darkness.

Can't find the key so we locked in the land of the lost
They are unable to unlock the answer, leaving them lost in a metaphorical land.

Lord, please tomorrow ain't promised to you nor me
They acknowledge the uncertainty of the future and seek guidance through prayer.

So now we choose the roots, so we can plant new trees
They now opt for a more productive approach by selecting the proper roots for planting new trees.

Many minds always meet with pens and sheets
Individuals use written ideas to collaborate and brainstorm.

Close my eyes, think what next on my rhymes
They introspect and strategize on how to finalize their lyrics.

See this face in ink, I'm havin' visions of wisdom
Through writing their lyrics, they attain a sense of enlightenment.

Dreamin' 'bout my own ending
They ponder their own potential fate and how it factors into their life's work.

Am I seein' death as freedom and livin' as prison
They question whether the afterlife may be a more liberating existence than life itself.

My son didn't have a daddy to shape him so
They regret not being present in their son's life to guide and mentor him.

God bless him with a daddy to save him
They pray for a replacement father figure for their son.

Yeah I raise him and pay some attention
Despite their absence, they make an effort to raise and pay attention to their son.

Teach him 'bout the foes, the hos and all opponents
They strive to educate their son on how to identify and address enemies and negative individuals.

Those that always talk 'bout love but never showed it
They criticize those who often speak of love but never exhibit it through their actions.

Those who had the chances to stand and always blowed it
They condemn those who had opportunities to take a stand but failed to seize them.

Those that set you up by the hour to steal your moment
They call out those who manipulate and set others up to fail or be taken advantage of.

Pac the word is you ain't there so fuck the rumor
They address rumors regarding Tupac's alleged absence and show little concern for their validity.

I'll get a pound of that shit from Bermuda
They express intent to acquire marijuana from Bermuda.

And meet you in Cuba
They plan to rendezvous with Tupac in Cuba.

Fucked up on Larusa no doubt, I know the locale
They admit to being under the influence of a drug and claim familiarity with its effects and origin.

If they gotta born you, I'm gonna mourn you 'til I join you
They express their loyalty and willingness to grieve over Tupac's death until they themselves pass away.

Uhh and now I know I got some family
They come to the realization that they now have family members.

Who missed me from the heart, forever we're apart
Unfortunately, they are now permanently separated from family members who genuinely miss and care for them.

Just because I'm nothin' and you abuse me and use me
Family members previously mistreated them due to their perceived lack of worth and used them for their own benefit.

Now you wanna try to come bruise me
Despite past treatment, family members continue to attempt to harm them.

And even though maybe were in there
Their family is not entirely gone from their life.

Farther than it once was I know family don't always
However, they acknowledge that family is not always physically close or present in one's life.

Mean that they blood 'cause some people just
Sharing genetics does not necessarily guarantee familial bonds.

Don't give a nigga what some people tried to use my name
Individuals attempted to use their name for personal gain without giving them the recognition or compensation they deserved.

So all the fat we had to cut and I'm still
They had to eliminate extraneous individuals in order to focus on what was important to them.

Walking with my six amp strut
They proceed confidently and with a swagger.

Urban eyes see through camouflage
They are adept at identifying and seeing through false pretenses and illusions.

And now I know who's butt
They now understand who is vulnerable and weak.

So when I sent you tried to play me
Those who previously attempted to use or deceive them are now unsuccessful.

All of a sudden now I'm shady
Despite past treatment, they are now perceived negatively when they have done nothing wrong.

Maybe deep down in my heart
They express internal confusion regarding their emotions and motives.

Never trust you from the start
Their initial instincts regarding others were correct and they should have trusted themselves.

Never hoped you'd be my homie, don't come 'round my way
They never expected individuals to be true friends and therefore do not want them in their life.

And if we never speak again, it's got to be that way
They are content with the idea of not speaking with certain individuals again.

This millennium, we'll be spankin' your heiny
They will come out on top and emerge victorious within this thousand-year period.

Remind thee naughty invented family of the 90's
They were part of the generation that created and starred within the Naughty By Nature music group.

Life doesn't end when the sweat dries
Life goes on and there are more experiences to be had.

A time when a nickle cost a dollar
Reflecting on a time when the economy and cost of living were different than they are now.

When you rise your chest dies
While one may achieve success or wealth, it is not always accompanied by a fulfilling life.

My dynasty many fear it 'cause' I'm near it
Others are intimidated by their ability to create and sustain a powerful dynasty.

Ancient Egyptian scriptures fitted in through hieroglyphics
Making reference to ancient Egyptian literature and hieroglyphics as a symbol of eternal knowledge and wisdom.

Motherfuckers try to touch my mental state
They refuse to allow individuals to manipulate or subdue them mentally.

Niggas smile up in your face and then they infiltrate
People often utilize false kindness to gain someone's trust only to deceive or betray them later.

So it seems nowadays that the only plan
They believe that the most viable solution in current times is to collaborate within their own racial community.

To get my people help my people get a load of land
Obtaining real estate is seen as a way to help improve one's community and people.

And I'm'ma see it if I have to kill some shit
They are willing to take extreme measures to acquire necessary resources to help their people.

To make my family tree a motherfucking wilderness
By any means necessary, they will transform their familial unit into a self-sufficient and thriving entity.

See a black man standin' on the promised land
They see a hopeful future for a black man, standing on the land that was promised to them as ancestors.

Since they broke every promise I devised a plan this
Acknowledging the broken promises made to their ancestors and devising a strategy to rectify the betrayal.

Black this and black that crap is gettin' touchy
The 'black power' movement is viewed as controversial or controversially implemented.

Any black hat that cross my path, I call him lucky
Those who associate with the 'black power' movement are viewed as fortunate to not be on their enemies' radar.

Those who turn. they back with they fears
Individuals who are too afraid to stand firmly on their beliefs and support their community are considered weak.

And try to before they can see us
Such individuals attempt to alienate themselves before partaking in the 'black power' movement.

They gonna need us sweet Jesus
In this time of political and societal distress, individuals will require unity and strength.