For The Love

[Intro]

Yeah, this is for all the pioneers

For all the fathers

For all the grandfathers, the uncle's

The stepfather's even (for the love)

For all those great men..

Who showed the youth the right way

And talked the real talk with the youth

Yeah, this for y'all

[Chorus]

Yo this is for the love, it's for the love of you

It's for the love of you

Yo this is for the love, it's for the love of you

It's for the love of you

[Defari]

Yo this one's for the love of you Pop

With me, the ball you'd never drop

In first grade it was the bully you told me to sock

This is for everything you taught..

For every basketball you caught, and every football you bought

It's from the heart let me explain

This for the fact that I'm proud to be named after Dwayne

And James, I know that times has changed since grand-dad died

Hey - the whole family's rearranged

But still, one thing remains the same

I remember all the times we had pizza after every game

I remember the music..

You bumped Coltrane, The Eisley's, Mays, George Duke shit

Not to mention war..

I remember the L.A. street scene in '83, we saw Stevie

I was just a young soldier, Pop, you showed me the streets

And what to watch for when I got older

Pop, you taught knowledge yourself, yo, how's Dennis?

This for the fact that you was born and raised in Venice

[Chorus]

[Defari]

Yo this one's for the love of you Uncle -

That's what we called you

Six foot six, man you was too tall to -

For any of us to have the balls to -

Step outta line, and face the wrath on our behinds

I always watched what you did - sipped a Scotch

Beautiful wife, all those kids, in a big crib

You was the Don of the fam, no doubt

If any problem, you'd be the one who always worked shit out

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, a true man of the house

Be the cushion for the family, when they fall down

The felonious, from you I learned about Thelonious - Monk

And Charlie Parker, yo that's my unc

Yo Uncle, I remember the day you grabbed your muscle

Who woulda thought that a Scotch and a smoke could provoke a stroke

The whole family - shocked, watched, and waited

Your return... was highly anticipated

And even though after that you slowed down

I'll cherish the times that we talked and sat around

You dropped jew-els that I'll never forget

From your life I gained so much to work with

[Chorus]

[Defari]

Yo this one's for the love of you Dale

For all the times we watched - James Worthy kill Kevin McHale

For all the times you would prevail

To rescue a nigga in high school, when his car failed

You've been down since sixth grade

When a brotha had a frill, before the days of the ways

I thank the almighty..

That you was there with me and moms, holdin' down nightly

You remember in front of the house

That rat cat got out and tried to run

You chased him down and almost broke his neck

They had to pull you off him

Good thing for that cat, cause he was headed for a coffin

Do you remember Patti Austin?

Remember how moms used to bump Quincy Jones' "The Dude"?

Aiyyo Dale, you more than a step-dad

We share the blood of Monique, my little sister

Can't forget that

[Chorus]