Lot of niggas go to prison
How many come out Malcolm X?
I know I'm not
Shit, can't even talk about the rest

from The Roots – Tip The Scale Lyrics on Rap Genius

This mention of the transformation undergone by the former drug dealer, thief, and pimp Malcolm Little is not the only Malcolm X reference on the record. X here stands as a touchstone for hustlers — one of their kind who escaped from their lifestyle and turned into an icon for a whole people

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