KWAKU

(álbum: I TAPE - 2021)

I was born in Asokore, Koforidua in the eastern region of Ghana
And I started schooling in a one room school house
Now I can look back and say everybody was poor
But we didn't know we were poor because we had food all the time
Loving family
The main problem was trying to go fetch water
Because there was no running water in the house
The bathroom is somewhere there outside
We didn't have the clean shoes that everybody had
We didn't have good clothing
It wasn't particularly very comfortable being under British colonial domination
And then I came to the United States in 1977
Just before the winter
Chicago then had a murder rate of close to 1,000 a year
It was a very violent city
That's when it earned it's nickname as the Beirut on the lake
But again I didn't let that scare me
I went to 63rd
We used to say that 47th Street was so dangerous that if you died
Your parents may not come for your body
Yeah it was bad but still the city was fun
Well when I had a son
And I just thought that it was better to stay in Chicago to raise kids
The good thing about Chicago is you learn the truth about America
There is no sugarcoating nonsense in this town
I was scared though, I got scared because I thought you could be shot
When you started getting in trouble I started graying
I started graying very fast
My heart is beating and I was having nightmares because you were having real problems with the police
Anytime I'm called to come and look for the police station where my son could be
I was scared that one of these days I maybe called to the mortuary to identify your body
Your growing up in Chicago gave me a lot of heart ache and head ache
But around the time you did the Innanetape
The enthusiasm with which you handled that
And the friends all around you
How mature they become
All of you
Made me think these kids have made it
I think my father in his grave would be very happy that I brought up some good kids in America
And particularly also I see it as a great success
If I leave I have very little regrets