Oakland State of Mind

If you are inspired by this video, click on the following link to help Youth Roots continue the incredible work they have been doing: http://oaklandleaf.org/html/support.html

Official release of the Youth Roots single, Oakland State of Mind, from the album "Edit the Real". Edit the Real is now on iTunes. To get a copy of the album, book Youth Roots for a performance, or learn more about Youth Roots, go to http://www.oaklandleaf.org/html/youthroots.html

Lyrics:
JAMES
Yeah I'm out that Oakland
Coming from the East Side
Every body got dreams
So we gotta dream high
Wishing we could make it
Somewhere in our life time
So I beg to the lord
God let me get mine
People just thinking bout making money all the time
We only do the music cuz we love to rhyme
Ya it's like youth roots is on a major grind
So I'm reppin for the town
To keep me on a straight line

ERIC
We in Oakland streets born in fear
They say people always fucked up
And niggas going nowhere
News report says every night it's pop, pop, pop
Little kids dreams down, shot shot shot
Yeah we in the town
Tryna make a change tho
Always let my rhymes loose
Go an let my brain flow
Never ever silent
Always out spoken
Guess where I'm from
Yeah that's right

CHORUS
Oakland
So much oppression to blind you
We want to remind you
City of Oakland!
Love, strength, and spirit that shines through
The youth will inspire you
Let's hear it for Oakland, Oakland, Oakland

BIANCA
Catch me at the coliseum posted at the
A's game
Kickin it with YR, under Oakland Leaf's name
The streets is in our blood homie,
But we ain't no bangers tho
But we got gang of banggers bangin for that change yo

LORENA
But when we on the block
Cops steady sweatin me
Maybe cuz my brown skin
Always tryna judge me

THALIA
Maybe it's the hat
I like to flip to the back
Or is it the hoodie
Causin them to react

MIKE
Welcome to Oakland I'mma show you
How we ride
Posting on the block
Selling knowledge to the young mind
Concrete Jungle
Beautiful dreams rise
Pass the mic on so we can get a beautiful chime
Sick Like Swine
So I'm feinded for the antidote
Let's change Oakland time to change to the 80s tho
Black Panthers come on put your fist up
Youth Roots Stand up
Universe Watch Us
Yes

CHORUS
Oakland
So much oppression can blind you
We want to remind you
City of Oakland!
Love, strength, and spirit that shines through
The youth will inspire you
Let's hear it for Oakland, Oakland, Oakland

YVONNE
Welcome to the flatlands
Get yourself some contraband
A symptom of a broken system
Economic badlands
Hella clean, hella tight, hella bad, holla back
Tell me why the hills is white
When the flats is brown and black

DIEGO
Caught up in the conscious
Like we BP's, Huey and Bobby for real
Catch a right, with ya chin out
The city of Raiders, eye patch, check the fader
Good brah's gone bad, went to smoke from now and laters
Oscar took a train trip, now he got a headstone
BART police rolling, catch you in the red zone
Hail Mary to the O, you're like a virgin
You either see the light, or ya PO or ya surgeon

TONY
Came here for change But you see the same casualties
Press make it seem like we addicted to fatalities
Where my people's represent like we're champions
We spittin through the pen
Plus the mics and the amp again

CHORUS
Oakland
So much oppression can blind you
We want to remind you
City of Oakland!
Love, strength, and spirit that shines through
The youth will inspire you
Let's hear it for Oakland, Oakland, Oakland

BRIDGE
One fist in the air for the town ya'll
Everybody come together time to stand tall
No place in the World that can compare,
Put ya fist up in the air, everybody say yeah

CHORUS
Oakland
So much oppression can blind you
We want to remind you
City of Oakland!
Love, strength, and spirit that shines through
The youth will inspire you
Let's hear it for Oakland, Oakland, Oakland

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Oakland State of Mind
• Oakland
• Youth Roots
• Oakland Leaf
• OaklandCVB2010
• Empire State of Mind
• G Reyes

[ThatOaklandSwag]

That's was up!! Stay reppin the town!!!!

[OAKLANDCHICANOS14]

LOL

[drizzybabey107]

this is hella nice :)

keep showin people what its bouuuu

[kalypsokink]

This kind of expression makes me proud of my of my peers and my city!

[911maribel]

Born&&Raiseed in Oaklandd. 4O'S :DD

[jeyssikaa14]

this shytt qo!

[adamGee1000]

go oakland

[RayneOfChange]

Im a teacher in Oakland and I love this song! Our youth are more than just a bit on the news. Keep it up and never let "them" win. OAKLAND PRIDE!!!

[Mackswagger83]

I'm from the town of Oakland, and this video really touched my heart!

[92boatsandcash]

My college English teacher showed this to us last semester -- love it !