Pour out some liquor and I reminisce
’Cause through the drama I can always depend on my mama
And when it seems that I’m hopeless
You say the words that can get me back in focus.

When I was sick as a little kid
To keep me happy there’s no limit to the things you did
And all my childhood memories
Are full of all the sweet things you did for me
And even though I act crazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me.

There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real
And I appreciate how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me.

2pac Shakur (an excerpt from “Dear Mama”)

Today we went to a Bangkok 54 for the first time and I ordered its Mai Tai, which came with a flame. Looking at the glass of cocktail made me reminisce of my mother who would turn 85 today if she was still alive. Thinking of my mother immediately brought me to 2pac’s classic “Dear Mama.” The lyrics still burned in my brain. I made a YouTube Short. Happy birthday, mama!

How should I begin this? I’m just so offended
How am I even mentioned by all these fuckin’ beginners?
I’m so appalled, I might buy the mall
Just to show niggas how much more I have in store
I’m fresher than you all, so I don’t have to pause
All of y’all can suck my balls through my drawers
Dark Knight feeling, die and be a hero
Or live long enough to see yourself become a villain
I went from the favorite to the most hated
But would you rather be underpaid or overrated?
Moral victories is for minor league coaches
And Ye already told you we major, you cockroaches
Show me where the boats is, Ferrari Testarossas
And Hammer went broke so you know I’m more focused
I lost thirty mil’, so I spent another thirty
’Cause unlike Hammer, thirty million can’t hurt me
Fuckin’ insane, the fuck am I saying?
Not only am I fly, I’m fuckin’ not playing
All these little bitches too big for they britches
Burning they little bridges, fuckin’ ridiculous

JAY-Z (an excerpt from “So Appalled”)

I have been re-listening to Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. “Monster” is so sick and energetic that it dominated the next track. What turned me off on “So Appalled” was Swizz Beatz’s hook, but then JAY-Z contributed such a hard verse on it that I like to quote it in full.