There's front lines everywhere around the world.
There's front lines in Atlanta.
There's front line in Germany.
There's front line in France.
There's always that bit
where the system cuts you off,
leaves you to fend for yourself.
You know what I'm saying?
Then turns around and says,
you are the problem.
This is not a nice place.
Don't let media fool you.
You know what I'm saying?
The hood is the hood everywhere around the world.
I was in the strip.
I was in front lines.
Jevan was in Coventry he called me,
"Pa are you local?"
I'm like, "Yeah I'm in the strip, innit."
So he came, grabbed me.
And was like, "You wanna come to the studio?"
I'm like, "Of course,
the studio you're at is 50 pound an hour."
I'm stingy,
I don't let go of money, you get me?
Investin' money.
Smart.
And that's love, you know what I'm saying.
Just came from all the way from London,
Coventry, West Midlands,
know what I'm saying?
Made that, straight to studio,
made the song within
30 minutes, 35 minutes.
Like, literally he's there working on the beat
while I'm there freestyling.
You know what I'm saying?
It's just natural, you know?
Fell in love with it,
one of my first songs.
Your door getting brought down by police for no reason,
that's a mazza.
Your truck getting ran into,
that's a mazza.
You know what I'm saying?
You running into the trap and it backfires,
that's a mazza.
I was born in England.
I got sent to Gambia.
Me, I came back from Gambia with pride.
My mindset is always been this stubborn.
"You ain't on what I'm on right,"
you know what I'm saying?
It's been pride.
You can't tell me about my skin tone, black.
You can't tell me about my forefathers,
I come from West Africa, bro.
I'm not better than no one,
but I know myself,
I know myself,
and if you don't know yourself
tryna prove yourself to me,
you ain't on what I'm on, right.
The system don't know how mad this side is innit,
you know what I'm saying.
Come on man,
outside of England looks at England like it's something nice
but even the system don't know
what's going on in hood like that, bro.
They label us criminals,
especially me with my dark skin.
I've always been labeled gang-related.
It is what it is you know what I'm saying,
but why?
Because the streets. You put us in a position
where we have to make our own family 'cause,
the outside world looks at us like with fear.
"Whip that white, I feel like Django,"
what do yo'all call it?
We call it here porridge.
What do y'all call it there?
Grits?
In Gambia we call it churrah.
Whip that, eat,
strong, you know?
"Whip that white, I feel like Django," you know?
I'm in the UK.
I ain't gonna be drawn out by Genius.
I'm gonna be a genius and not,
I'm in the UK.
Anything you do in life, shut it down,
lock it off.
Anything you do in life,
anything to do in life.
You wanna show love?
Make sure you shut it down.
Show love with heart,
with strength,
you know,
shut it down.
I've seen the real life.
I see how hard people actually have it
and I see the importance of family.
In Gambia you know,
we used to call our neighbors
from each sides of the neighborhood,
you know what I'm saying?
Come eat,
big plates in our house you know.
No matter how little you got,
from a kid I've seen
what a nation that's looked upon as
behind,
dumb,
crazy, whatever stupid names in the book,
you know what I'm saying?
They treat life like the real definition of life,
which is love.
A lot of people still in the ground.
I'm still in the ground,
but from my money we make the ground elevate.
We're gonna make the ground elevate,
we're all gonna elevate,
I see it.
This generation is the most stubborn generation.
I will be a hand as well, you know?
You'll be a hand.
A lot of people will be a hand,
you know what I'm saying?
We're gonna make this,
we're gonna make this ground elevate.
I'm IC3.
IC3 is a black man.
You know what I'm saying?
That's it, that's the mind state I grew up in
'cause this is what I saw.
You see the street show you more love than school,
that's how real it is.
You build close relationships in the streets
because their parents are crackheads.
You're the only normal they see,
you're the normal.
I'm lucky I have a mom,
you know, that worked hard.
Worked hard, immigrant or not,
going through shit, or not.
You always have it easier than someone else, you know?
You're not bad,
why you rapping?
Do you want someone else's opps to come find you?
Is words really worth dying for?
Don't be stupid,
your life is worth more than you think.
My friends said she wasn't good for me.
I always lost my head when I held her.
So right now we just at a arms length distance, you know?
She's still local,
she still loves me and I love her too.
And she's active,
when I need her she's there,
you know?
My love.
You can't talk pon the netty,
unless you can back your talk.
But certain people like
they just get their blessings cut short
because of net talk, you know?
This whole screen, media, cameras,
it can change you and I've seen it happen in my eyes.
If you know who you are,
don't let nothing gas you up.
Know yourself.
You have this talent,
don't let nothing dilute it.
Just because you friends on roads,
a banging thing looks mad,
it does not feel good getting shot,
it does not feel good getting stabbed,
you know what I'm saying?
Kids it's not worth it,
you know what I'm saying?
Just know who you are
that's how I can say it, innit.
The richest man to date,
Mansa Musa.
He's from the Mali Empire.
This is where most the slaves were taken as well,
you know what I'm saying?
I never got taught about him in school.
They've never teached me about my own.