[Nelly]
Life... what is it for real?
[Ali]
I don't know... yo
It's like hate takin over but hold up, what is it over?
Suicide, man that's the devil tryin to control us
They told us but we ain't notice the pain was sittin on they shoulders
The world is just too polar, they'd rather live in the solar
System got us hopeless, they focus on foreclosures
Wake up and smell the Folgers
Obama bring home the soldiers
Osama, you owe us, the 9/11 was bogus
Now we right back at him, save the world is our motive
C'mon...
[Nelly]
Yeah, wake up early in the streets of the block (streets of the block)
He posted up on the corner like a soldier in a drill but it won't stop
Yeah, livin life in the battlefield (battlefield)
Hmm, tryin to survive every day and every night is the same deal
Cause, life's strange (life's strange) time changes (time changes)
But karma always finds a way
Stay strong (stay strong) hold on (hold on)
And don't let all your dreams fade away
[Interlude: Nelly]
Yeah life can beat you down
What goes, it comes around
It's not how you hit the ground
It's how fast you get back up, and
[Hook: Nelly]
Go! Keep goin, sometimes it feel like I'm givin my life away
And it gets hard, and harder, the happiness is worth the wait
Cause all I want is a better day
Cause all I want is a better way, hey
[Nelly]
A lot of mothers they just don't understand (they just don't understand)
Yeah, they think we hard on our sons but we gotta teach our boys how to be a man
Yeah, they on they own when they walk out the door (when they walk out the door)
Mm, see we can show 'em how to fire but they gotta teach theyself how to reload
Cause, unemployment's higher than it's ever been
Sometimes it feels like I can't win
And even though all the rules keep changin
I'm stronger now than I was when I came in
[Interlude] + [Hook]
[Talib Kweli]
Hey, hey
Rollin through the back streets like we got beef
A carnival for carnivores with the sharp teeth
They animalistic, that's why we call the cops beast
They on the hunt cause they hungry for the dark meat
I'm rappin to my heartbeat, the brain is the ba**
The heart is the drum; give the drummer some
Promise of a better life is all I got to give
I ain't just tryin to survive, I'm tryin to live
[Nelly]
Cause all I want is a better way, hey
If you're not prepared the world can be so cold
All that you can do is your best and just hope (yeah)
In time the truth will show, just stick to what you know
Get a grip on somethin real, and never let it GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
[Hook] - 2X