Brother Ali - Chain Link lyrics

(Verse 1) I try to always buy final call from the F.O.I Even though that's not what Islam always signify Y'all gotta love the struggle in 'em They would get on their knees and shine shoes 'fore they ever let the d** afflict 'em Makin taco's and f**in with McDonald's Nickel and dime broke, but dignified with high hopes Some people shoulder the weight of the median, make it look easy Even though they walkin the tight roads Immigrants, twelve deep in one bedroom I'm too cool, I look at 'em like fools Those fools combine forces and pull their resources And guess who the new owner of the corner store is sh**, what's stoppin me from doin that? I probably could with drug smugglers approve of that Because if one dime sack in the time can climax Into a billion dollar industry, then look at my abilities But I'm a dreamer in alotta ways I feel if you believe in God that you believe in brighter days Keep my son's heartbeat in my sleep I'ma walk the Planet Earth with his name carved deep in my feet like (Chorus x2) Children growin, women producin Men go workin, but what's the use When the real strive hard and stress about the rent And can still die poor and in debt without a cent (Verse 2) Born again christian creatures from the suburbs Tryin to save souls on Broadway, they got some nerve Comin here unaware that the one's with no material gifts Sometimes most spiritually rich Lazyness got me spare the stand back and what was that That can't hold me back, my man Vast told me that "Harlem got all that on a bigger scale" When there's bullets in the sandboxes every bid is real I see children growin up within a wicked system Smilin I wanna kiss 'em, I see prophet Muhammad in 'em Poverty's trickin people from my generation And hands down to world's most creative I've seen both sides of the fence Picket a chain link and we ain't all thinkin the same thing but They teens got so impressed by me They try to walk, talk, interact and dress like me We captivated the world's imagination I used to idolize athletes and entertainers Cause they never let the situation capture 'em System gave 'em lemons, made lemonade and sold it back to 'em (Chrous x2) Children growin, women producin Men go workin, but what's the use When the real strive hard and stress about the rent And can still die poor and in debt without a cent (Verse 3) Marvin Gaye said it best "This ain't livin" No matter your religion the earth keep spinnin And the sun keep shinin, babies keep cryin Old folks dyin in beats within you put ya chiming And here I am, still lower cla** America Same room, same view, different cast of characters Regina got arrested as a late prowler Couldn't trick, got evicted, lost her section aid voucher Onward goes my neighbourhood's revolving door A gang of rental properties nobody owns at all I guess that's why we call it a hood Nobody stays as long as it takes to become neighbour (Chorus x2) Children growin, women producin Men go workin, but what's the use When the real strive hard and stress about the rent And can still die poor and in debt without a cent