Mike the Mentor (Interlude)

RHYMEFEST: Ay, Mike, I got something on my mind that... It's really been bugging me, and I need some advice. Can you just like, just, sit, and just mentor me for a second?

MICHAEL JACKSON: Sure!

R: Well, you know, I- I'm tryna come up in the rap game, and- I wanna be like you! Iconically, music-wise, but, you know, with hip-hop, it's kinda like, if you ain't shootin' people, or sellin' a lotta dope, it's like, "You not hood. You not black enough. You not..." And it's like- And I don't know what to do, you knahmsayin'? I don't know what to-

MJ: That's the most ridiculous, horrifying story I've heard. It's crazy! The more often a person tell a lie, the more times you hear a lie. I mean, you begin to believe it

R: You know what, that's true, G. But it's like, when radio plays it all the time, and the TV plays it all the time, and they tell you, "You're not black." You know, "If you don't do this...", like... How did you overcome everything people said about you? Like, not being "urban enough" or not being "black enough."

MJ: I'm a black American. I'm proud to be a black American. I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride of who I am, and dignity

R: Yeah, that's cool, but sometimes I feel embarrassed to be black, G. Like, I'm ashamed to say it, but how do other cultures look at us? How do other races perceive how we treat ourselves?

MJ: Well, let's reverse it. What about all the millions of people who sit out in the sun, become darker, to become other than what they are? Nobody says nothing about that

R: Yeah, I mean, you right. I can't even argue with you. You got a point on that, man. Well I'ma kick it like this

[Verse]
Uh, uh, are we animals? Some suggest
We was better as slaves with chains on our chest
Nothin' on our brains, no A's on the test
Yo Mike, can we make it out the ghetto man? (Yes)
Uh, what it do? What you do if it's you?
They gave us hot water we learned to make stew
We had no money we learned to make due
Yo Mike, was you born poor like me? (It's true)
I bet you should, come back to the hood
See everything we built out of what we could
Limited resources but from where I stood
You would still look at it and say (Good! That's good)
Look, you from Gary, I'm from Chicago
We both should go back two days from tomorrow
I don't care how we get there, plane or trolly
They need money Mike, c'mon man (I'm sorry)
This can't just be words, gotta be action
We love the people and they need satisfaction
We on the road but we gotta get some traction
I'm Rhymefest and his name is (Michael Jackson)