An Encouraging Letter (Rap)
From Little Man to Youth
(The Good and the Bad)

A Yo, check this out G!

If you’re committing crimes, doing a bid (time) in jail, reformatory school, the joint, detention center, boot camp, a group home or just illin’ out on the set (street). Maybe you’re somewhere clocking getting paper (money) for some other thug or whatever. “Thug out on this schooling G.” You’re feeling that there’s no way out of that hole you’re in. Maybe you been locked down three or four thug times already and you don’t know what to do. You seem to be sinking deeper and deeper. You even ask yo’selves why you? Some of you really don’t know why. You could never imagine all the elements out in the streets that are against all the effort that you put forth when you try to make yo’selves better. Elements that you can’t even recognize. There are so many images in the hood and elsewhere of a negative persuasion that you admire, so many that you idolize that are so extremely dangerous to yo’ very existence. You see ’em you hear ’em and you want to play a part and many times you do, but quite too often the part you play end up playing you G. How’s that? You ask, well any time you be down to participate in a negative situation and get busted, (arrested) and then end up doing a bid, you been played playa. Sometimes people help and sometimes they hurt you, I say this with sadness but yo, it must be said. There are so many adults that contribute to yo’ destruction and know it. How’s that? They ask, well, in this world there are so many parents who are so well off they are able to buy their children the finer things in life, knowing darn well that some of them are gonna flaunt their blessings in yo’ faces feeling that they’re better than you are. Simply because they have these things and you don’t, and that hurts you. Sometimes on the strength of negative efforts they’re riding around in the Lex', Mercedes and BMWs looking and dressing fly. Seeing this inspires you to be as they appear to be, well
off, “’bout it," you know what I’m saying G. It would be wise for you to say that you’re gonna chill ’til you get yo’ education. Then, you can
cop these things if you desire to. “Why wait?” you ask yo’selves, “they’re young just like me.” Sadly, because of their flaunting some of them you want to ice (kill) but some of them you can feel, and just like you’re feelin' them, I'm feelin' you. I understand why you feel that the only way you can become as they appear to be is by choosing that old thug lifestyle but that’s not the way to go. I know yo, I been there and it didn’t pay off. You must realize that some of you are often predicted to make bad choices, and be the way you are from birth. Instead of you being helped you are put down; and sometimes called everything but a child of the Almighty, names such as ballers, thugs, gangstas, bustas, criminals and such. And even though you’ve glamorized those terms to make you look hip, to some they are still looked at as being bad. In the minds of many, some of you are born to be a thug, drug dealer, pimp, thief, robber, a killer and a loser. In certain sections of society there are those that say good riddance each time some of you are shot down in the street by a bullet that was autographed by yo’ shorty or yo’ boy, and are not hesitant to say that you had it coming. Each time one of you get knocked up (pregnant) at ten years old, or each time one of you is infected with HIV or die from AIDS, there are those who celebrate yo' fate of bad luck to the max G. They say awful things about some of you as if God gave them the right or permission to be yo’ judge. In their eyes you aren’t nothing but an outcast. However, they have their choices. You know, the so-called good boys and girls. Those that are crowned boy and girl of the year repeatedly at their school. The ones that are always invited to the teen summits; those that have had it made from day one. Far too often they pin too many accolades on the ones who don’t need them. I’m not saying that some of you who receive these awards don’t deserve them because so many of you do. I’m saying that there are so many of you that don’t receive any but deserve it. Instead they chronically over look some of you and never give you the honor because in their minds you’re the scum of the earth, the troublemakers. But that’s okay, yo, be encouraged, God loves you no matter what. Don’t be what they say you are. It would be so great if starting right now; all of you that are chilling with yo’ pants hanging all thug down (sagging) stop whatever you’re doing and pull ’em up. Clean yo’ language up G, you know, no more dog, nigga’, ho’, or the B-word. You’re
projecting bad images of yo’selves to the world. Especially to those that feeds off of it. Just for once prove all the doubters of you wrong. I know that you’re probably saying that you don’t have to prove nothing to anyone, but this is what you should do for yourself. I know you can handle that. If I was able to chill out and do it you can too. It’s because of that cool and hip image you’re flexing you are mostly never hired but is always the first to be fired, because many of those who feel the way they do about you and “playa hate” are not gonna change their minds no matter how you clean up your act, but you have to love yo’selves enough to want to get better. Believe me life can be better for you despite all those who put you down saying that you’re nothing and you’ll never be anything. If you don’t flex that move today just remember you’re not promised tomorrow. The Creator will walk with you as long as you let him. If you refuse to let him you will be out there flossing all by yo’selves and believe me trying to make it out there in those streets or anywhere without the almighty G ain’t easy. You may as well make that move right now. Many of yo’ peers have already begun to straighten their lives out. Some of yo’ favorite rap stars that you idolize who were once gangbangin'and kickin' it with Satan are proudly chillin’ now with The Most High, and if He’s good enough for them I know He’s the right choice for you. It’s a lot easier than you think to give up the wrong for the right; you can be “outtie” wit' that wrong state of mind and still be 'bouttie. You just have to break down be humble and try, yo, and as the saying goes nothing beats a failure but a try. So peace and power to you. And if not for no one else but yo’selves, stand up, keep yo' head up, and be the prize that the Savior intended for you to be, because somewhere in yo’ lives you’re gonna have to realize that only you can put forth the most effort in preventing yo' own destruction. Not yo’ mom, dad, gangs or prison bars. You must be down to take the first step. The choice is yo’s G and you do have a choice. There will be obstacles in yo' way but you must jump them quickly. If you should have to pause for a moment or two, stay focused with a positive attitude. YO! What are you waiting on? I’m out.

Little Man-(JB)