Poverty Sucks is a rant by a homeless individual, who confronted by his circumstances, emerges as an Everyman; who expresses his struggle within the pervasive, geo-political, racial, ethnic and class warfare permeating our communities; and speaks on how he is personally affected and shaped by impending and colliding societal conflict.

Through it all, he survives with his dignity intact. A defiant warrior, stroking his righteous indignation and his intention to prevail, even giving hints of rebellion.

His is a warning to the ruling classes, a sign of the tempest to come.

This song is dedicated to Aaron... where ever he is.

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over--like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

-Langston Hughes

Poverty Sucks - Lyrics

By S.B. Juhudah

Well ah'm broke... broker den a broke dick dog

An ah'm hongrey... haben't bin greased so long

Dat ah'm starving lak Marvin... lak ta be scarfin

Some chicken an greens... in da well a ma dreams

Ah bin runnin roun looking lak a dey ole bone

Ah'd lak to crash... but ah ain't got no home

Ah bin sleepin on da grown

LORD ah'm feelin down

Ah'd lak ta laugh... but lately all ah do is frown

Poverty Sucks (4x's)

Ya know once upon a time ...ah wuz livin large

Ah had it soft...ah didn't push too hard

Ah had plenty of money... life wuz so sunny

Had plenty of friends...thought dat it wouldn't end

But den Reaganomics came an kicked my ass

Ah took a fall...look lak ah fell so fast

Lost mah J.O.B... an ah lost mah home

Now ya see me very much alone... ah'm tellin ya

Poverty Sucks (4x's)

It doesn't take a genius or... a super brain to see

Dat de economy is goin down da drain

Whether we lak it or not were goin ta pot

Poor people get a liddle an da rich a lot

While da very cost a livins in da high octane

The rulin classes are reactin lak dey goin insane

Makin plans to attack...all Latinos an Blacks

While da poor are persecuted for da things dey lak

Ya know dey got a notion

Dat dey king a da ocean

An every single move dey make

Will put da world in motion

Ah gots ta bust dey bubble

Dey gonna be some trouble

If dey don't change dey attidude

Dey gonna get it double

Dere's not much toleration

Survivin in da nation

Our leader's got an odor

Dat invites regurgitation

It goes against da grain

Da system is insane

Ah gots ta tell it all

An make it plain

Ah'm tellin ya

Poverty Sucks (4x's)

Break

Ah wanna work...but dey ain't no job for me

Ah needs a home..tired a dis poverty

You people think we lak welfare

Sucka jus don't care

You runnin from me

Lak ahm da enemy

But all ah wanna do...is hold mah head up high

An be a man...an wave da streets bye bye

An give mah ass ta kiss...to da trickle down blues

You will prob'ley see it ohn da news

Ah'm tellin ya

Poverty Sucks (9x's)

End

Poverty Sucks - Personnel

Words and Music by S.B. Juhudah

Selah Eric Spruiell - Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Percussion

Brian Mason - Sound Engineer, Drum programming, Synth Sounds, Guitar and Background Vocals

Paul Crutchfield - Background Vocals

Nadia Danielle - Background Vocals

Noam Szwergold - Keyboards

Produced by The Funky 3 - Selah Eric Spruiell, Paul Crutchfield and Brian Mason for Brooklyn Bunch Productions