I could hav been a builder
A painter or a swimmer
I dreamt of being a Rasta writer,
I fancied me a farmer
I could never be a barber
Once I was not sure about de future,
Got a sentence an I done it
Still me angry feelings groweth
Now I am jus a different fighter,
Given the range of possibilities he cites, this is clearly the case. 
 Zephaniah uses the phonetic spelling ‘de’ for ‘the’.  This reinforces his identity as an English Afro-Caribbean man.
Its Work