Ladies and Gentlemen Kidd Amaze.
A spotlight is on and on the far-left side of the stage you see a guy with a prison jumpsuit on constrained in chains with it tied around his neck, wrist and ankles. On his face was a black face mask that has the words “BREATHE” in bold rainbow colors. As he is pushed to the front of the stage with people in unmarked matching uniforms, words seem to be spoken to over the PA system
“Somebody said,
you bump your head fighting the flow
Curse his name, against the grain, was a heavy blow
Futile attempts to build yourself, and watch it grow
But you mean the world to me
You mean the world to me
You mean the world to me
You mean the world to me”
As this played on the PA, they pushed the prisoner on the ground removed his chains and took of his mask and put a stand in front of him with a microphone in the stand. Getting up to his feet music begins to play, softly at first because he wants people to see and not so much as hear the music. It a slowed down version of his song on his album that starts with a piano for this live version with drums coming in after.
(Hook)
When the lights dim low
And it’s my time to go
I want to be sure that
You guys can live on without me
Promise that you will live without me
Cause, I won’t be here always
I need to put things in place
Before I finish this race
Say that you, will live without me
Tell me that, you will live without me
With the first verse a video plays behind him of a public-school teacher in a poor urban neighborhood. It shows the teacher spending time with his students, interacting with parents, dealing with his boss and other teacher. He goes home with is run down and in a bad neighborhood close by the school. The table that in in the living/dinner room shows bills that need to be paid as he goes to a small bathroom to sit down on the toilet looking stressed. He goes to the corner store and sees a little boy that is in class stealing something to eat, so he pays for it and as they go outside, he is gunned down in a shooting. A Memorial comes up with picture of Kidd friend that was shot and killed. This was during the time that he was left to go on the road and he didn’t hear about what happen until much later.
I remember how we had those dreams growing up with
Gleams in our bright eyes, shining brighter than the skyline
You were the one that was so dedicated
I never saw you be so moved and motivated
I was older than you but it really inspired me
I didn’t have brothers or sisters but you were like blood to me
It may be hard to see with those binders on but you can trust
Everything that we could do together, the two of us was a must
I had the rep of being “Cool” but really, I was the class fool
I didn’t have it like you so I had to act out for the attention
Something just to get a mention hell just to be recognize
And those wicked ties confined me to where I am today
You left home a while ago yet here I am left to stay
I wanted to go with you but couldn’t shake the self of unworthy
Dirty like the old luggage you refuse to throw away,
the sentimental value of holding someone back
I act tough and strong but fact of it remains
I have nothing that can benefit you,
But I can make it better for the ones that are coming behind you
I feel like I’m the shepherd and you’re the master
That I learned from and I know some that
Have a vision just like you
But they don’t have a guide to see them through
Roadmap this place crazy, but you made it they can too
I can be that for them like you were for me
I can’t wait for them to look back once they get on easy
Street, cause my feet are tired and I didn’t pave this
This lane is the one that you created, talked and celebrated
So, my goal is to put these young minds on the right path
Once we all made through these times, we can all laugh
And I hope one day you can come to see
I’m teaching now so...
(Gunshots)
(Woman Screaming)
Promise me, you’ll live on without me
Promise me, you’ll live on without me
I won’t be here always
I need to put things in place
Before I finish this race
Say that you will live without me
Tell me that, you will live without me
The second verse shows the funeral with people dress in black as they stand on this hill with graves everywhere. There is a panning shot of students, teachers, family, and friends and the preacher and the shot end with the mother look stoned face. You just see her as she looks emotionless through the sermon, the wake and the drive home. In her house there is all these pictures of her family and just in a fit of anger and sadness she starts smashing all of the family pictures in the home. Flashes of picture frames thrown to the wall broken picture frames on the floor bottles being through at the wall. She makes her way to the kitchen and grabs a knife from the drawer before a neighbor comes in and stops her from doing anything else and she just breaks down crying as more people come in to check in on her.
It a shame whenever a parent outlives their child
I sort of expected something with him being so wild
Just always rebellious, buck at the sign of authority
Being so close to gangs only made me more worried
I was happy when you two starting hanging out
Even though I was unsure how it would turn about
He was quite rash and you seem to follow his lead
Only god would be able to handle his break neck speed
But I pleaded with the lord to always place his hand
And I think you being there made him understand
I could tell by the way that you would look at him
Filled with admiration, which sparked his determination
Maybe some detonations, he was a short fuse burst of energy
Hard to contain but if it could be harness, forever the artist
You know the type, two peas in a pod
Grew thick as thieves looking back on those moments where we
Would get phone calls, Your mother and I
Would come by and preach to you guys
So hard headed the more we would try
Split you two apart as punishment
Man, the tears Y’all would cry
And I’m sure now I rival those tears
I can’t help but wonder on all those years
Why they take my baby now, I’m full of hurt
Couldn’t he wait a while, lowering to the dirt
They could have saved him, hearing the tires skirt
It should have been me, I want it to be them.
Eye for an eye, blood for blood, pain for pain
I just have flashback and fill with distain,
Anguish, none of it subside
It been years and I still hollow and empty inside.
I don’t know I can live on like this, unbearable
A parable not going to help me I need something real and tenable.
(Hook)
When the lights dim low
And it’s my time to go
I want to be sure that
You guys can live on without me
Promise that you will live without me
Cause, I won’t be here always
I need to put things in place
Before I finish this race
Say that you, will live without me
Tell me that, you will live without me
The third verse in shown in a first-person perspective waking up in a king size bed you stretch your arms out and you see that this person has a reddish-brown skin tone that is living in a fancy place as you see their bedroom is huge with a marble night stand white carpet with house shoes by the bed as they put house slippers on and make their way to the bathroom that has his and hers sinks with and a glass shower that could hold 6 people comfortably. They put on their robe and go down a spiral staircase that shows off more of this beautiful expensive house you make your way to the kitchen which is huge as you get a cup of coffee and you walk outside to see the front of the house defame with racial slurs and racial comments.
I'm often caught myself with feelings of survivors' guilt
Wondering if I’m worthy of the things that I have build
Saw many that wilt under the scrutiny that comes from success
And while I considered to be blessed and highly flavored
Still seems like I can never see about my neighbors
How did a kid who comes from terrible conditions
End up being with top selling musicians with his ambitions had to been a magician
And a dark one at that would take more than millennia to figure that puzzle
Forget it, it is in the past let’s bury it with a shovel
Oh, you talking about change here? Nah can’t have that you earned this muzzle
You bring no worth other than being the entertainment
Your placement is just a holder until we are done, never vacant
How many people would kill to be in your shoes
How many would die with those cement blocks too
With broken bows and chicken wings the spot will fill
In love with the thrill then fucked over in the deal real recognize itself in a mirror
And in your refection, I can see the bitter and the sweet
It gives me shivers it is quite a treat
Are you happy, this is the life you wanted right?
This is the chance to say your piece while in the spot light,
I just wonder am I in the right
The last images that is shown is people of all races, ages, and genders having black shirts with words “MY LIFE MATTERS” Instead of going into the chorus Kidd brings up a little boy to come up on stage and when he is given the microphone, he says in his childlike voice “Like Master Yoda said, ‘Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering,’ but like Iroh say ‘You have light and peace inside you, if you let it out you can change the world around you.’
