[Verse One: Last Emp]

1993, shortly before Thanksgiving

I got the call, she said Jamal Derek is not longer living

Softly she spoke, is this a joke? Man you gotta be kidding

As my question was raised this explanation was given

meaningless death made me question the meaning of life

Does my body remain at rest like when I'm sleeping at night?

Will I burn in eternal [bad word] or will I find paradise?

Be rejected or ressurected like the body of Christ?

Is it like purgatory, the story described by the Catholics?

Or Nirvana that Buddhists honor in both theory and practice?

Like I study in my college philosophy classes

Or do my molecules and atoms travel back to the gases?

I mean, what I like to know, is where my spirit goes?

After the curtains close, on my final show?

Is there a pain it brings? Enjoy my favorite things?

Visit ancient kings? Hear the angels sing?

Who'll answer these said the great MCs

My man Gribbles battling a debilitating disease

He said you see a brother like me is willing to fight

And everytime I question death my only answer is life
 [bad word]  Esthero]

One life, yeahhh

And my God will set me free

I living in this moment

I living righteously

It gets haaarrdddd

But I know I got to keep on

I'm trying so hard to be strooonnnggg

[Verse Two: Poetic]

Paralyzed on the bathroom floor by pain

Last month I endured, but now I can't ignore

Feels like railroad spikes being stuck in my liver

I dying? Eyes crying, body starting to shiver

Crawl upstair from the basement calling my sister

(Sniff) Dawn help me, I ain't feeling too healthy

Stomach walls burning, head spinning and turning

Waiting for the EMS; 3:10 in the morning [bad word] me to the emergency screaming like a newborn

The pain's too strong maybe my soul's trying to move on

They hook me to the I.V., put me through some X-Rays

Gave me Demerol to kill the pain that was the next phase

Early the next day in the hospital room

Moms and pops in the room, three or four docs in the room

Test results suggest your colon and your liver

Is so cancerous you got three months left

Me and Death is playing chess ever since then

My strength is the most high, my fam and close friends

The Last Emp and Set Free blessed me with a verse

Staying [bad word] first

Look at me things could be worst
 [bad word]  - 2X