Rev. Saul S. Williams (Saul's father) live @ Baptist Temple Church, Newburgh, NY 1999:
I-I-I just want to talk about a good father.
Now, coming from me if you were to personally look at my life, you would ask the question: what do you know about a good father?
And that would be a fair question, because one of the statements that I have written on my notes here today is that men need examples.
And that's not holy men, all of us are helped by examples.
But it does seem that as men we feel better when other men show us that they are man enough to do whatever it is.
That we have hesitancy in doing.
Whether it is cook, sew, babysit, or to shout, clap our hands, cry.
We sometimes can't do it until we see other men who have lost themselves in the praise of God and in life.
So it would certainly be a fair question, on this Father's Day to ask, what do you know about a good father?
Now, when I say father I am speaking of one who is the guardian or biological male in your life.
Who takes you out with them, who teaches you, gives you the instructions to follow.
Proverbs talks about the son or daughter following the instructions of the father.
Well, certainly there is no equivocation about that.
That's wonderful, howe'er, in order to follow one's instructions they most know what they're doing.
We ask sociologically, why are there so many messed up families, what's the problem?
Well, in most of those cases, those children had no or little example to follow.
There are exceptions, but in most of those cases they had little or no example to follow.
A good father is more than one who provides shelter, food and body coverings.
Now, I pray that those fathers who are here, and those mothers who had to be fathers also, and every once in a while we find some fathers who had to be mothers also:
Our father which art in St. Francis hospital
For hypertension
Our father which art in jumpsuits and prisons
Federal detention
Our father which art in dark bars and alleys
Lethal injection
Our father which art in denial and delusion
This cannot happen again
Hallowed be thy
State your name for the record
Hallowed be thy
State your name for the record
Hallowed be thy
State your name for the record
Hallowed be thy
State your name for the record
Hallowed be thy
State your name for the record
Hallowed be thy
State your name for the record
Solstice will I am
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you hear us now?
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you hear us now?
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you feel us now?
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you heal us now?
When I was young, I cried when I found out I couldn't have children
Soon after, I started rhyming, no one was nicer than me
I mean it, upstate, New York
I learned to beat box in my tree house, sounded good out there
Would you rather hear 'bout guns and fear or broken gla** in a tenement?
Should I rhyme to make you fear me now?
Dear Goddess, can you hear me now?
Clear the way and prepare me now
Dear Goddess, can you hear me now?
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you hear us now?
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you hear us now?
I'm supposed to be less of an emcee
'Cause I never sold a key
I sold my homework
But y'all n***as is too busy hustlin' to do the domework
Now you can only rhyme about how your steel and chrome work or your cell phone
Jerk, change your topic
Damn, I'm supposed to be praying
I gotta stop it
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you hear us now?
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
Can you hear us now?
Dear Goddess, we made this break beat just for you, as an offering
An offering
Booklet note: (3 dead chickens, 2 dead emcees, and countless wasted minds...
I love hip hop, like I love my mother, and wouldn't bring most of you emcees home for dinner)
Oh well, guess I'll listen to Radiohead for another year.