The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words.
The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men.
