To young man

It's my music that keeps me breathing

Help me do what I can

Now if you have a minute

I'll tell you my story

It begins in Chicago

On a northwestside 2-story

Classical's what I conduct

At the early age of three

Sunday mornings in the living room

I wav my hands to feel free

At the age of six

Grease is the word

Olivia Newton John

Is all that I've heard

I hold the record sleeve

And stare into her eyes

Her pretty airbrushed face

Leaves me mesmerized.

At my tenth birthday

Good music doesn't exist

I want Huey Lewis

And I'm given Prince

Purple Rain's in my walkman

For maybe 'bout a minute

But I haven't matured

So I put "Footloose" in it

The teen years arrive

Jean jackets rule the streets

Hangin' out on Chi-town corners

To guitar riffs and heavy metal beats

Van Halen rules my world

A close second's Living Colour

Ozzy, Anthrax, the Crue

I listen with my surrogate brothers

During the day

I walk the halls of Whitney Young

Studyin' on the westside

With the theatre crowd I've always hung

I'm crushed by rap and house

Music I don't understand

They take my rock and metal

Samplin' it leave it for dead

I'm a heavy metal headbanger

In a Black high school

Although I'm open minded

I don't have a clue

When I throw my parties

There is no Run DMC

No Slick Rick

Only C & C Music Factory

Snap, that type of shit

But I do dig the club scene

Medusa's goin' late into the night

I still remember my exact spot on the dance floor

When I first hear Deeelite.

Then college begins and

I arrive at Princeton University

Talk about culture shock

With minimal diversity

I grab onto that

Which to me is most familiar

I'm either on the theatre stage

Or in the multi-cultural center

And in a matter of moments

In a matter of seconds

Hip Hop and House rule

Leavin' all else past legends

Digable Planets, Todd Terry

New legends all around

Jumpin' in battles in New York City

There is no slowin' down

I desire more

I'm growin' up fast

I enroll in Afro-Am 201

Introduction to Jazz

I learn more about Miles and

The beauty of Charlie Mingus

I listen to "Haitian Fight Song"

A mix of passion and bruised fingers

Powell and Monk

Takin' me to the highest heavens

I learn it was Mary Lou Williams

Who gave 'em their lessons

And then comes James Brown

I need not say more

The original funk the original groove

B-boys and b-girls to the dance floor!

Cuz now, for me, today, it's Hip Hop

The next movement of change

The Civil Rights Movement had Dylan

We've got many names

Kweli

Mos Def

The Roots, Jurassic Five

Dead Prez to Common

And J Dilla will never die

I listen to everything from De La Soul to Rubber Soul

Bauhaus to Amy Winehouse to Deep House

Li'l Louie Vega and Mark Grant

To KD Lang and Robert Plant

Earth Wind and Fire to the Rolling Stones

John Mayer to the Commodores

Cecilia Bartoli to the Zero of 7 and Remy

To Stevie Wonder, Coltrane and Gorecki

Esthero to Incubus

The Rapture to Fatback

Pharrell to Phoenix

The Police to Outkast

I'm a sucker for The Fray's "How To Save a Life"

And anything that involves that mother fucker Jack White

I'm inspired by Kuti and Mellencamp

Stories of struggle and survival

Their passion and perseverance is undeniable

And when it comes to dedication?

You've gotta clap

For U2 and old skool rap

KRS

P.E.

Rakim

EPMD

Simple Minds reminds us

"Don't you forget about me

Don't Don't Don't—"

Don't let me be boxed inside

Reflections from a TV screen

The trickle down theory of a marketing scheme

I simply want

My Dave Matthews

My Cee-Lo

My Smashing Pumpkins

My Me'Shell N'degeocello

As I continue to grow

My freedom is clear

Channels might try to profit

But my beats, rhymes and my life

Are all that I hear

My music allows me to breathe

I put it on when I wake

If it's gonna be another rough day, Lord,

I pray my boom box don't break!