I was the kid in school with hand me downs from my sister And gal dem still loved me now that's charisma Front of my crep split ain't seen a barber for months But the way I profile you would have thought I was Trump Back when I was spotty and my head way outgrew my body Even those times spittin' it shoddy Before I bust my first nut behind the trees in the park You'd find me and Jay drunk way after dark Bams too, looking for moves like bees do swarming Funny thing we all got ball in the morning We like thirteen but grown as we see it You find us any Saturday night in Coliseum Sticking dick to big gal and I told her my age straight Never been one to play games Or watch face or none of that Pop shots I'm gunning back No ball to catch Look how these cowards running back No matter what they say to you No matter what they put you through Always to yourself stay true You gotta hold your head up high When you feel you've hit the ground And they seem to laugh out loud Whatever goes up must come down You gotta hold your head high For my young tugs on every block, eighth in their sock With aims to get paid and parade in the drop Sweet kids get older, grow chips on both shoulders Daddy left it seems the wind done blow colder Even in July, that's why we hoodied the whole year Mothers lose sons when them clouds disappear Nothin' sweet out here, but I count my blessings Been through a lot of sh**, but I take it as lessons Just a young yout that ain't never had nothing Many times went to school stomach still rumblin' Still felt like I had a right to f** Brought gal to my yard and the power would cut While yutes sleeping, I'm at the launderette before school With big bin liners still trying to look cool At the time it was hell, now I just laugh Funny how you change the way you feel about the past No matter what they say to you No matter what they put you through Always to yourself stay true You gotta hold your head up high When you feel you've hit the ground And they seem to laugh out loud Whatever goes up must come down You gotta hold your head high Hold your head up, hold your head up I know you're fed up but you gotta get up Hold your head up, hold your head up Never let up 'cause you've gotta get up Hold your head up, hold your head up I know you're fed up but you gotta get up Hold your head up, hold your head up Never let up 'cause you've gotta get up If they put your back to the wall, you gotta stand tall Don't watch these little dicks, all they do is talk f** em all I'm rollin', real n***as'll roll wid it Yeah life's a b**h, but I still wanna hit it Spit what's real to me nothing more nothing less n***as ain't got no homes, but roll with stones around they neck Can't you see you're the diamond, always shining Plus the only thing tough enough to break us is us No matter what they say to you No matter what they put you through Always to yourself stay true You gotta hold your head up high When you feel you've hit the ground And they seem to laugh out loud Whatever goes up must come down You gotta hold your head high