Verse 1
My last name’s Chu. Born in Illinois, and you?
Grandpapa came from China just like Chan in Shanghai Noon
Mama’s fam came from Malaysia, give ‘em big ups, too
Both maternal and paternal came to start their lives new
Over the ocean blue. It’s the American Dream, ain’t it true
Moms and pops met in college, graduated, and ooh!
A little baby boy, a scholar, educated, I grew
This Asian culture was the heritage I came into
Kung fu, Ling Xiaoyu, don’t forget rice stew
Slanty eyes, straight hair, but never went to Chinese school
Asian-American but emphasized the last part
I don’t speak Chinese but never lost my dad’s heart
In ninth grade, Useff gave me tapes of the mic art
Deltron 3030, Aesop Rock, and Blackstar
Turned my heart to lyricism, DJ’s, and graf art
Watchin’ Wild Style on Friday nights, we was red-hot
Chorus
These critics won't stop sayin' "He can't be hip-hop!"
Just wait for my album to drop, and hit the top.
Repeat 3x
Verse 2
The greatest compliment to art is startin’ to imitate it
So I filled up rhyme books with lyrical lines and pages
Had no delusions: I knew that I was not the greatest
But even if I was the wackest, I’d still write for ages
At night in bed, I arranged syllables in my head
Jotted on the lined page with my blue ink ballpen
Rode to school every day with my beat-up Walkman
Listening to underground, mainstream, and anything on hand
Atmosphere, Eyedea, Tupac, and Wu-Tang
Had The Blueprint in my CD player for months, man
And started throwin’ ciphers with my buddies in basements
But, dang, it’s hard to be hip-hop when you’re Asian
I loved the streets, but people only saw my face, man
I’d kick an ill line, some dude would say “know your place, man”
“You’re tryin’ to act black.” What, are you racist?
Crazy Legs ain’t black, what do you think 3rd Bass is?
Chorus
Verse 3
So, no. I was not born in the hood.
But I do feel like I am at times misunderstood.
And sometimes, there’s stuff I feel I can say that would
Make you pause, stop and look, maybe read the Good Book
So I will constantly continue to express myself
Until I get to movin’ my CD on your shelf
I don’t care about health; possessions and wealth
Don’t make my heart flutter; Don’t flatter yourself
But hiphop is universal culture, you see
Doesn’t take a lot of melanin to make an emcee
I will be getting respect for my lyrical art
Just ask Enigmatic: “Yeah, you are”
So I, don’t care, even if you might
And I, will never back down from this mic
And if you ever want me to have beef with you
I say bring it; ‘cos I'm hiphop, too
Chorus