[Intro] Blackhand Enertainment Roc-a-Fella Records In a**ociation with the streets The Black Gangster In conjunction with everything official [Verse 1] I ride through the ghetto windows down halfway Halfway out of my mind music on 9, blastin' Donny Hathaway Me and my n***as spendin' half the day Plottin', how we gon' get this math today with out gettin' blast away I wake up to the same problems after today Life is harsh, n***a got a right to spark Right from the start, they place me in the ghetto, tender age of nine My tender mind had to surrender to crime Wouldn't wish this on nobody life to end up like mine Ever since I was quite young a n***a been in a bind Had to scratch for every plaque, even rap ain't even all it's cracked up to be n***as don't stack up to me Had to hustle in a world of trouble Trapped in, claustrophobic, the only way out was rappin' America don't understand it, the demographics I tapped in I'm the truest n***a to do this n***a and anything else is foolish Like those who stay high, under God's grey skies My lyrics is like Bible, made to save lives In the midst of all your misery n***a, stay fly Never let em see you frown, even smile when you down sh**, I floss on my off-days f** what they all say n***as can't stop me with rumors, I'm too strong All-day socks explodin', sweatpants pockets is bulgin' Holdin' it down on the corner with my block frozen My spot is rollin', drop the price on the coke and Drove the competition out and let the dough flow in The cops is closin' in, I can do the time
But what's really on my mind, there ain't no hoes in the pen I play the low and try and make it hard to find me Feds still tryna build a case since '93 I told them I'm retired, but they like whatever You know them pigs don't wanna see you get your life together [Hook] I'm stuck in this life forever The more things change the more they stay the same Who am I to change the game? You gotta move quick like h**n and c**aine The blocks hotter than its ever been Once again [Verse 2] Hold the gun at eye level, I ain't afraid of conflict I let the nine rip, n***a say "hi" to the devil I blind with the bezel, I'm in line with the ghetto What y'all n***as afraid of, my mind or the metal? n***as tryna subtract my life, my mathematics is precise I carry the 9, so f**ing with me just ain't the answer I just can't lose when I was young I was like Fresh Poppa raised me to chess moves And though you're gone, I'm not bitter, you left me prepared We got divided by the years, but I got it from here Don't sweat that, sounds bump from Marcy to Lefrak To that project in DC where my man caught his d**h at Over my years I've seen Rooks get tooken by the Knight Lose they Crown by tryna defend a Queen Checkmate, in 4 moves the Bobby Fischer of rap with raw moves In a time where we all move Lets face it: either you're dough chasing or basing Lacing, crack's got you feelin' strong like Mason Careful, any infiltration I'm leaving n***as Leaking more than just information