[Fat Tony]
Let me tell you bout my daddy
This nigga African and get mad at
Every single thang I do
He only cares about money and school
In the kitchen, whippin up fufu
Last night he made my whole fam eat stew
I don't really know what he want me to do
Always thinks I'm on drugs too
Lookin at me like I'm crazy
I'm just a product of the 80's
And he cannot understand my music or my young lady
He only understands diplomas and having babies
Won't drink Corona, but known to drink Guinness maybe
He think I'm kinda lazy
He kinda sorta hate me
But he gotta love me cause I am his first born baby
Came to the states at age 19 with nothing but a dream
Just looking for a green card, had to work hard after the Biafran war
He swore he would explore all that he never saw before
On these shores with no horse or no Porsche
Even on all fours, still he went forth and conquered
That's when he met my mama
Yes, they bonded, met up at the German department
And got themselves in a situation they was certainly fond of
Worked it out like Fonda, rode it out like Honda
Went without the condom, now I'm here in their honor
For some of y'all he wasn't there to see you grow tall
Or to take you to the mall on Christmas to ball
But everybody got a daddy
Everybody got a daddy, if he make you mad or happy
Might not respect what you do or approve of your crew
Or approve of your boo but you know that it's true
But everybody got a daddy
Everybody got a daddy, if he make you mad or happy
Growing up my daddy didn't give a f*ck
Bout me rappin or actin he just acted like I was nuts
"This shit ain't even music, why in the hell is you doing it?"
When he told me how I'd ruin it, I'd sit in my room and get (*inhales smoke*)
High for really, I'd fly, it's silly
Sometimes there'd be 4 or 5 other guys there with me
We would record til we bored, call some girls up
I'd come home late and hear some more stuff
Like, "damn dad, what do you want from me?"
"Damn, son, what the f*ck you think?"
"Don't drink, and don't rap, and don't think, and don't act"
I don't think I'll do that
I don't think that even is me, in fact
I don't think you understand where I'm at
And like that a fight happened every night
Bout what's happening in my life and if I'm doing what's right
In his eyes I wouldn't realize what I could be
In my eyes I was just fine being me
At this time we gotta agree to disagree
I just wanna make him proud by being who I wanna be
For some of y'all he wasn't there to see you grow tall
Or to take you to the mall on Christmas to ball
But everybody got a daddy
Everybody got a daddy, if he make you mad or happy
Might not respect what you do or approve of your crew
Or approve of your boo but you know that it's true
But everybody got a daddy
Everybody got a daddy, if he make you mad or happy
[Tom Cruz]
It's like… for some of us…
He never showed up or owned up
But you did grow up
Sho nuff, it's Tom Cruz, nah mean?
[Fat Tony]
And it feels so incredible to admit
From my skin tone to my 10 toes, I am him
From my earlobes to my elbows to my genome
I can't deny it, not even if I try it