Andrew and Mike Memphis: 2012 Rap

Each time a Jobs for Life class begins wrapping up for graduation, recognizing the amount of work that the class has completed, Andrew allows them to give him one homework assignment. This rap was his assignment for the last class of 2012, and he performed it at their graduation. The beat for Andrew's rap -- and the second wrap -- were written and performed by one of that days graduating students: Kenneth Chalmers, AKA Mike Memphis. The lyrics to both raps are below. 


Andrew's Rap
This is the last class of twenty twelve
I know this whole class is feelin' themselves [slang for proud]
Mr. Gerald is always the very best dressed
And you know Mr. Charles is too blessed to be stressed
James Cross be keepin that coffee pot hot
I'm proud of all yall that quit smoking pot
I know yall be thinkin my rhymes are lame [slang for uncool]
But com' on, I'm white, and the class is to blame
Ptosha be matchin from her head to her toe
From far away she looks like a rainbow
Terrance started class with a terrorist beard
Martrecia on a bad day is a thing to be feared
LTD, he got his female haters [slang for a person who cannot be happy for another]
Joscelyn and Andre were his chief motivators
Latasha already got her GED
And Nichole brought us a hundred honey buns for free
Valerie looks like an eskimo in that jacket
Andre's so quiet he never once made a racket
Terrika be cheaing cause she already had all the notes
Xavier got shoe strings on the back of his coat
Ms. Barbara went ham in lunch line [slang for being tough]
4 of yall forgot to pay your class fine
Deborah she got caught ghetto dancing in class
Mike and Jamaine they sit on the....same table.
This is the last class of twenty twelve
I know this whole class be feelin themselves!

Memphis Mike's Rap: Roadblocks
written and performed by Kenneth Chalmers (Mike Memphis)

They don't want to see my ball [slang for how I get things done],
they just want to see me fall
I'm go get to where I'm going 
even if I have to crawl
You can handcuff me and put my back against the wall
No matter the situation I'm going to make it through it all
I aint never been a quitter, was born a survivor
Got the heart of David when he took on Goliath
Not a shaky bone in my body I'm a rider
Before gold can shine you gotta take it through the fire
I been there...I done some things in my life brought me pure hell
A couple years ago was sitting in a jail cell
I done some things in my life brought be pure hell
But now I'm out here doing good so you can't tell.