[Verse 1: The Game & (Sample)]
I woke up for school in 2001
And watched the twin towers fall in 2001
Five years later, the war is done
My brother never comin' home, and my mother lost her oldest son
Why should I go to the army when I don't know the outcome?
And how my uncle sellin' X, but never heard of Malcolm?
Sometimes, when my dad hit me, I feel like Emmett Till
So if the police don't beat me, then my father will
I can't concentrate hearin' my ma scream
So I told my math teacher, goin' to a university was a ("Dream")
I had visions of getting my masters
Then my world turned black, like I was starin' out of Ray Charles' glasses
It's kinda hard to imagine, like pastor Mase
Bein' a reverend when the whole world think he a fake
But no matter what it take, Imma buy my mom a house
So if my dad ever hit her again, she can kick him out

[Chorus]
Walkin' through my neighborhood, lettin' the ink from my pen bleed
'Cause Luther Vandross had a ("Dream")
Richard Pryor had a ("Dream"), Rosa Parks had a ("Dream")
So we reached out to Kanye ("I brought you all my dreams 'cause I love you")
("I—love you"
"I—love you"
"I-I-I love you")
[Verse 2]
I had dreams of makin' an R&B hit like Usher
When I see him on my MTV screen
Got posters of him and LeBron James on my wall
'Cause sometimes I have have dreams of playin' basketball
They say I'll never make it out the hood
But anything is possible, if Ciara and Bow Wow could
Hurdled life's obstacles, found my way through the maze
Went from makin' my mom mad to makin' straight A's
I used to dream about bein' a doctor
In my elementary days when I heard Magic Johnson had aids
Daydreamin' yesterday, dozin' off on the bleachers
I could've swore I saw Left Eye talkin' to Aaliyah
So I walked over, and I heard Left Eye say
"It's a hard knock life, then you pass away"
They say drugs lead to death, but I just say no
Even if it was the last thing left

[Chorus]
Walkin' through my neighborhood, lettin' the ink from my pen bleed
'Cause Luther Vandross had a ("Dream")
Richard Pryor had a ("Dream"), Rosa Parks had a ("Dream")
So we reached out to Kanye ("I brought you all my dreams 'cause I love you")
("I—love you"
"I—love you"
"I-I-I love you")
[Verse 3]
The dream of Marcus Garvey, that's what I'm livin' through
The dream of Dr. King, that's what I'm givin' you
Who worked in the White House in a business suit
Condoleezza Rice, doin' most things men'll do
On my iPod, I'm listenin to Gin n Juice
But I drink water, 'cause it got the most minerals
And I hope I'm not offendin' Snoop
'Cause beef is stupid, like the things that the Game and 50 Cent went through
Where I cone from, I done lost a friend or two
Who would kill a little kid over a Jordan tennis shoe
It's kinda crazy, on the next block, I told my mom
"I can't get shot if I'm at home playin' Xbox"
Never mind ma, 'cause for that cost
You could just write a check and give it to the red cross
And I'm not tryna gain national attention
Just writin' a letter, hopin' Bush will listen

[Chorus]
Walkin' through my neighborhood, lettin' the ink from my pen bleed
'Cause Luther Vandross had a ("Dream")
Richard Pryor had a ("Dream"), Rosa Parks had a ("Dream")
So we reached out to Kanye ("I brought you all my dreams 'cause I love you")
("I—love you"
"I—love you"
"I-I-I love you")