Query: song from the late 80s early 90s by a male black artist about a guy on the edge because of society

A possible match is The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

The Message

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

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Music Video

Lyrics for The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder How I keep from going under It's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder How I keep from going under Broken glass everywhere People pissing on the stairs, you know they just don't care I can't take the smell, can't take the noise Got no money to move out, I guess, I got no choice Rats in the front room, roaches in the back Junkies in the alley with a baseball bat I tried to get away, but I couldn't get far 'Cause the man with the tow-truck repossessed my car Don't push me 'Cause I'm close to the edge I'm trying not to lose my head Ah-huh-huh-huh It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under Standin' on the front stoop, hangin' out the window Watchin' all the cars go by, roaring as the breezes blow A crazy lady, livin' in a bag Eatin' out of garbage piles, used to be a fag-hag Said, she danced the tango, skipped the light fandango A Zircon princess, seemed to lost her senses Down at the peep show, watching all the creeps So she can tell the stories to the girls back home She went to the city and got so saditty She had to get a pimp, she couldn't make it on her own Don't push me 'Cause I'm close to the edge I'm tryin' not to lose my head Ah-huh-huh-huh It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under My brothers doin' bad, stole my mothers TV Says, she watches to much, is just not healthy All My Children in the daytime, Dallas, at night Can't even see the game or the Sugar Ray fight The bill collectors, they ring my phone And scare my wife, when I'm not home Got a bum education, double-digit inflation Can't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the station Neon King Kong standin' on my back Can't stop to turn around, broke my sacroiliac A midrange migraine, cancered membrane Sometimes I think I'm going insane I swear I might hijack a plane Don't push me 'Cause I'm close to the edge I'm tryin' not to lose my head It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under My son said, Daddy, I don't wanna go to school 'Cause the teacher's a jerk, he must think, I'm a fool And all the kids smoke reefer, I think it'd be cheaper If I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeper Or dance to the beat, shuffle my feet Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps 'Cause it's all about money, ain't a damn thing funny You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey They pushed that girl in front of the train Took her to the doctor, sewed the arm on again Stabbed that man right in his heart Gave him a transplant for a brand new start I can't walk through the park, 'cause it's crazy after the dark Keep my hand on the gun, 'cause they got me on the run I feel like an outlaw, broke my last glass jar Hear them say, you want some more? Livin' on a see-saw Don't push me 'Cause I'm close to the edge I'm tryin' not to lose my head (Say what?) It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under A child is born, with no state of mind Blind to the ways of mankind God is smilin' on you, but he's frownin' too Because only God knows, what you'll go through You'll grow in the ghetto, livin' second rate And your eyes will sing a song of deep hate The place, that you play and where you stay Looks like one great big alley way You'll admire all the number book takers Thugs, pimps and pushers and the big money makers Driving big cars, spendin' twenties and tens And you wanna grow up to be just like them Smugglers, scramblers, burglars, gamblers Pickpockets, peddlers and even pan-handlers You say I'm cool, I'm no fool But then you wind up dropping out of high school Now you're unemployed, all null 'n' void Walking 'round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd Turned stick-up kid, but look what you done did Got sent up for an eight year bid Now your manhood is took and you're a Maytag Spend the next two years as an undercover fag Being used and abused and served like hell 'Til one day you was found hung dead in a cell It was plain to see that your life was lost You was cold and your body swung back and forth But now your eyes sing the sad, sad song Of how you lived so fast and died so young So, don't push me 'Cause I'm close to the edge I'm trying not to lose my head Ah-huh-huh-huh It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under Huh-ah-huh-huh-huh It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder How I keep from going under Huh-ah-huh-huh-huh Yo Mel, you see that girl there? Yo, that sounded like Cowboy man Cool Yo, what's up Money? Yo, hey, where's Creole and Rahiem at? They upstairs cooling out So what's up for tonight y'all? Yo, we could go down to Fever man Let's go check out "Junebug" man Hey yo, you know that girl Betty? Yeah man Her moms got robbed man (What?) Not again man She got hurt bad (When did this happen?) What's goin' on? Freeze Don't nobody move nothin' Y'all know what this is Get 'em up, get 'em up (What?) Oh man, we're Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five What is that, a gang? No Shut up I don't wanna hear your mouth Shut up Officer, officer, what is the problem? You the problem Yo, you ain't gotta push me man Get in the car, get in the car Get in the God... I said, "Get in the car" Why is he doggin' us man?