Did You Know That Dollar General Used to Sell Shoes?

Inspired by the song “A Tale of 2 Citiez” by J.Cole

I look around like do you want to be another nigga
That ain't never had things

Cheap shoes don’t get the stain of poverty off easily. Cheap shoes tear, rip, break, crease , wrinkle, smell, hurt, cry, bruise, run home in shame, scheme, create voids that only validation from opposite sex can fill, causes self-esteem herpes, and kills.

Me I want my pockets fat about a bitch
Tired of seein' niggas flaunt, I wanna flaunt too nigga

I bought a chain of my face so that people can see me shine two times because that’s how much harder I had to hustle for mine. I had the dentist rip my entire mouth out and replace it with Diamonds so my people can see what people that look like me can dig out for people like me so I can stunt on motherfuckers that look like me.

Whatever goes up surely, must come down
And you get your piece but no peace, won't be found
I told my brother he couldn’t borrow money from me because I can’t afford to lose ten dollars right now. My brother asked about my shoes, my chain, and the diamonds in my mouth and I told him this shit don’t pay for itself, brother. My brother held out his ashen, bronzed hand and pointed at me and told me I’ll get mine someday. I opened my diamond filled mouth and told him niggas like me are always going to get theirs, because getting mine is all I know.

Originally published by Prometheus Unbound 2019