IAM - Petit Frère (English Translation) lyrics

[Intro: Inspectah Deck sample]
"Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough"

[Verse 1: Akhenaton]
Little brother’s only wish was to be a grown up
That’s why he’s been acting tough since he was 10
Becoming an adult with the news as his mentor
Means beating the sh*t out of those who disagree
Back when big brother was a kid
We could geek out over Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
But now the dwarves have done away with Snow White
And now they beat up people in Mortal Kombat
At 13, he already has a lust for money
But his pockets are empty so he acts gangsta
At slumber parties and now ragers, no more Teisseire syrup
Little brother wants beer
I don’t think it was intentional, but adults certainly
If indirectly showed him that being bad is good
Tomorrow his notebooks will be all crossed out
Little brother smokes spliffs and breaks car windows

[Chorus: Shurik'N & (Akhenaton)]
Little brother has left the playground
(He can barely walk but wants seven-league boots)
Little brother wants to grow up too fast
But he forgot that running is useless, little brother
[Post-Chorus: Inspectah Deck sample]
"Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough"

[Verse 2: Shurik'N]
Little brother dreams of cars, clothes and money
Street cred, for all of that he'd steal the moon
He racks up a rap sheet without a care
For the harm he's done, all while asking for respect
It doesn't matter to him what tomorrow will bring
To give some people reasons to despise their younger peer
The cathode ray tube in his head
Has blocked out the vibrations of the African drums
No more schoolbag, he wouldn't know what to do with it
He doesn’t play with marbles anymore, he wants to play with revolvers
Little brother threw away his toy soldiers to become a warrior
And focus on the loot he's gonna hoard

[Chorus: Shurik'N & (Akhenaton)]
(Little brother has left the playground)
He can barely walk but wants seven-league boots
Little brother wants to grow up too fast
But he forgot that running is useless, little brother

[Post-Chorus: Inspectah Deck sample]
"Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough"
[News reporter sample]
"Times have changed. Tomorrow will be better. You'll see."

[Verse 3: Akhenaton]
The reporters start the trends, school violence already existed
In my day, it was rackets, fights, vandalism
Shattering our teachers' windshields with bats
Chaos with boxcutters
But covering it on the news every evening makes it ordinary
It's imprinted in the retina like a normal situation
And if little brother wants attention
He just has to imitate what he saw before 8:30
sh*t, in the '80s, it was the statement of facts but now
These reporters make facts out of statements
And I don't think little brother was worse before
Just overexposed to the advertisements of violence
For the grown ups, kids were the best lemons
The number 1 target market for consumer products
And to secure a part of it for himself
Little brother secured himself with a gun on his belt

[Verse 4: Shurik'N]
They know who are when they see what you have
Little brother knows and keeps that fact in mind
Money opened the doors to a blue sky
As easy as his screwdrivers opened those of cars
Grandstanding is all he wants
It feels even better when you're wearing Giorgio Armani
Worried about other people's perception of him
Despite his young age, little brother smokes to look more grown up
He wanted to take the highway to riches
But didn't realize he could lose his feathers
He just barely got out of his egg
And already, little brother wants to be bigger than an ox
[Chorus: Shurik'N & (Akhenaton)]
(Little brother has left the playground)
He can barely walk but wants seven-league boots
Little brother wants to grow up too fast
But he forgot that running is useless, little brother

[Post-Chorus: Inspectah Deck sample]
"Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough"