Artist: Ab-Soul
Album:  Long Term 2: Lifestyles of the Broke and Almost (Mixtape)
Song:   Be a Man
Typed by: AZ Lyrics

[Verse 1]
"Herbert Anthony you need to get you life together"
That's my momma bothered by how I live life like whatever
They say I'm pressed for time, but I don't press the issue
I just stay on my grind, chain smoking marijuan help me free my mind
What a coincidence, like feeling guilt trickin by your innocence
In a sense I'm livin in my second childhood
Don't pay a lick of rent, rhyme, eat, sleep, and shit
And when you twenty-two that don't sound good
Maybe if I went to school it'll be cool
I've have something to fall back on if this rap don't crack
Perhaps I'd have a better story had I sold crack
Let's go back, to Carson high fluctuating my goals
Writing rhymes through the lecture knew I should've took notes
Sometimes I think I'm running in place, chasing hopes
Rejoice my name as Ab-Soul or is it average joe

[Chorus: x2]
All this commotion goes in one ear, out the other
I'm still gone make it, one way or the other

(Quit acting like a kid herb, gone be a man
It's a man's world, how you suppose to feed your fam
You need to act more like an adult, pull up your pants
I know you do music but what's your plan B man)

[Verse 2]
If I knew when I was younger would I grew to know
I coulda tackle things more different, coulda been more defensive
Coulda been more responsible, coulda been more persistent
But I didn't and I ain't repenting
My parents wake up in the morning to a cup of coffee
Then go off to work it kills'em when I'm still in bed snoring
Only if they knew, their young boy was in the stu
'Til like 5 AM cookin up classics to make them
Proud it's house niggas that could stay in
That was rather rash, but you can replace this scraps with straight cash
I told jay I'm a buy you a house one day
I probably send Katie & [?] to college too
But right now I'm broke as a joke, I should do comedy
Dude, I need a job, somebody hire me fast
So I could win my girl over, she probably cheatin on my ass
You motherfuckers better try and snatch her while she up for grabs

[Chorus]

[Verse 3: Ab-Soul talking]
It's like real difficult to articulate it
It's like you got your goals, you got your aspirations
Your dreams, and you chasing that, you pursuing that
But in-turn it cost for you to sacrifice alot of your availability to go out their and get this paper, nah mean?
It's hard to say you a man still and livin at your momma house

Yo, I had a conversation with my step-pops
Basically inquiring the time frame when I'm a pop
I told'em I ain't know but I'm determined to blow
Not like a fluffer, more like plaques that's platinum and gold
That's on my great-grandmother
He shook his head and said:
"I don't know much about the music industry but what's been said
The people ain't making no bread, let's be more realistic
How you gone take care of a wife? how you gone feed your children
I'm on my knees everyday tryna provide for ya'll
I bought that car that you dippin, but you don't chip in
You shouldve went to UCLA, like your cousin Jay
He got a big signing bonus, every year like 80k"
I looked him in the face and said "it ain't about the money
And honestly buying an education sounds funny
But have a little faith in your son, I'll come through for ya"
He said be a man Herb, that's all I really want from ya

[Chorus]