Brother Ali - Dear Black Son Lyrics

serious Ta-Nehisi Coates vibes

Song aint really about people like me, or in my situation, but seeing my people seperated from their kids, having them put in fucking internment camps. This administration's constant fear mongering, the line "their fear is realer to them than your humanity" really fucking hits home.

brother Ali favorite song inspired me

Damn brotha... I just had that talk to my 16 year old son about the same subject yesterday. Told my son he was a big brother and a beautiful son but they don't see that first. I'm in tears writing this man. My dad told me one day the same worring you have I had. If you raised him right you'll be alright... .Thank you....

My son will be listening to this when he's old enough to understand/appreciate. Thank you Brother Ali

Wow such a great song. 👌

Brotha Brotha you are so gifted, the only thing I could ever ask of you is to keep doing your thing!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG18385oKk8&t=8s

This song is beautiful and really powerful. So much love and righteousness in this man! Brother Ali is one of those gifts to humanity. He’s in touch with something higher. We need more people like him in this world

Brother Ali, Jah bless you, bro. You are one of the dopest MCs of all time.

this is beyond beautiful, it's culturally significant, its important.

11 people who watched this video are named Sister Ali.

This song is super real and dope. I want this sample as well. Reminds me of AND1 mixtape beats circa '01

Dear Black Son, there's people you've never met
Who fear and hate you for something you never did
And these people are so self-convinced
Sometimes they pull the trigger, call that self-defense
And in that sad insanity
Their fear is realer to them than your humanity
But that's their problem, it's not yours
Listen to your pop for a second
These are the confessions of a father broken hearted
Who don't know how to pull his only son out of a target
They lied when they said it was the bottom where you started
You were a king long before them ships departed
You are not defined by anybody else's crimes
You don't need to answer for what happens in their minds
You are not confined by their imaginary lines
You don't need permission to exist with the divine
In fact, you don't need permission from no one including me
You need not do anything but be, just breathe
Whatever you dream let it mean you're free
Tears on a cheek never made nobody weak
Sometimes we got to grieve let it burn, let it bleed
Then let yourself heal, I pray to God it will
You've got a spirit that a bullet can't kill
That doesn't make it any less real

They say it takes a man to raise a man
You're slipping through my hands like grains of sand
And here I stand, tryna wrestle with the hourglass
Maybe see how long I can make an hour last
Raising a man, who's slipping through my hands like grains of sand
And her I stand, tryna wrestle with the hourglass
Maybe see how long I can make an hour last

Dear Black Son, I can't protect you like I want to
I never judge you, all I can do is love you
And that's all anyone can ever do is love you
All I can do is wonder how can anyone not love you?
They recognize divine you
So they try to find themselves by defining you
They're living in a myth that they don't want to loose
And now they're too terrified to face your kind of truth
But every time you shine, it's proof that they might've threw
A chain around your body, never conquered you
They don't always honor you but they love your culture
Let me show you how to move when the laws approach you
It's best to keep your hands where they can see them
And try to understand that you're not even what they're peeping
They don't see a sweet kid that loves his little sister
Their mind is seeing five hundred years of pictures
In fact, they don't visualize a kid
They see grown man imagery mythic masculinity
But you are not their fetishes or fears
Nor my ambition and tears, nothing can interfere
We've got to trust our seeds once we sow them
We hold them when they're growing
But we never really own them
We love up on them, play with 'em, pray for them
And cling very closely to those moments

They say it takes a man to raise a man
You're slipping through my hands like grains of sand
And here I stand, tryna wrestle with the hourglass
Maybe see how long I can make an hour last
Raising a man, who's slipping through my hands like grains of sand
And her I stand, tryna wrestle with the hourglass
Maybe see how long I can make an hour last

Brother Ali lyrics are property and copyright of their owners. "Dear Black Son" lyrics provided for educational purposes and personal use only.

I met Ali once

Poopoopoopoopoop

Sometimes it just hits you. I would listen to the radio if it played real stuff like this.

This song speaks. I thank Brother Ali on Twitter as much as I can.

mni Wiconi 😎✌️ Giddy up 😎

This is one of my favorite songs from All The Beauty In This Whole Life. Very powerful.

who in the hell are the 5 people who disliked this song seriously???? even if you take race out of it its still a father talking to his son...smh classic jam I see you ali

Trump disliked it a few times and called it "fake news".

Disliking this track makes zero sense, literally

Grease White it’s absolute garbage. Listen to The opening lyrics. “There’s people that you’ve never met who want to hurt you for something that you never did.” is the most hurtful and damaging thing a dad could say to his son.

@ಠ_ಠ What's damaging is experiencing the discrimination without anyone acknowledging it. He's speaking truth, and he's also teaching him how to overcome the struggle. Being a good parent isn't keeping your kid in the dark about reality to avoid hurting their feelings, it's about teaching them how to process the pain when felt. Plain and simple.

F U to whoever put a Thumbs Down🖕🏽 This was Dope! Bless Up!!

Literally the best song I've heard since MLK Jr's I have a dream speech.. that was a song to my soul the same as this is. Thank you for channeling love and Truth through your words . Wow.

This is the best album of my entire life.

listened to this the 1st time as i fed my son (whos mixed). Got teared up. Can only hope things get better and also that rap like this is around when hes older. Thx for an amazing CD Ali

Phenomenal track

beautiful. I sat here and listened like my dad was speaking to me. thank you brother.

Thank you for this timely album

I remember first hearing this at Red Rocks a few years ago, made me tear up then and does now.

We are Groot.

MileHighRonin well said! 😮

GUARDY OF-DY GALAXDY!!!

I love it. Thanks

Such a deep song. As a black father with a son, it really hit me... it's poetry that i'd love for my son to hear.

Literally brought me to tears.

If you like this check out Black Superman by Cambatta

Justin Pearson I tear up every time I hear this song, powerful lyrics

Yo raisin one that I didn't create, with mine that I did. This is the teaching syllabus of every man with a son of color! Quite possibly the MOST meaningful song I'll find in my life

Yes sir. I know it might not hit quite as deep but my son is mixed and still brought me to tears. I can only hope the racism in this world(even on both sides of the family) only reduces at least

powerful.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-jordan-edwards-family-stricken-terror-boy-death-article-1.3137284

loving it My dear brother ali

beautiful !!!!!! you are the best brother Ali.