Rise Up I manifest pain from the struggle Of a broken and humble man To remain intact with his soul On the grounds of a troubled land I ascend from the depths of gutters And darkest corners of the streets Where niggaz die every day Searching for the light we call peace I've come to recognize in time It's not my destiny to be a killer There's a child who's still alive Who wants to grow and get bigger So I walk a thin line Through the flames of controversy There's nothing you can do That hasn't been done just to hurt me I paid with my life to learn How to believe in myself So I will never again Put my trust in any wealth Even though I'm still cursed With the wicked tendencies of a thug I will love the world when it hurts Cause I was created to breed love These stone walls I sit behind Ain't cold enough to change me I've reached a new level of understanding So I'm no longer angry I meditate to free my mind And rejuvenate my soul Behind the power of my Spirit I will finally become whole. -Taylor Maxie, Jr. a.k.a. Johnny Tremain