The Prologue (Verse 1) Look, born with a gift and plan My life I lived in advance Wise beyond my years I been a poet since the age of ten Never had a father figure Mom lived through the harsh conditions Two jobs, an apartment, at times I wonder mama how you did it No help from the man Said never live with open hands No A/C, spent my summers writing shirtless underneath the fan Couldn't afford no Jordans, so it was Taylors I was sportin' Tuck the laces, tube socks and tanks, in my room performin' Stay up late, perfect my cadence Syllables, rhyme placements Metaphors, vocabulary, you know, all of the basics And the makings of a true emcee Struggle taught me patience and that patience brought you here to me So much to tell in little time, so much hell inside my mind So much pain inside my struggle, hard to write it all in rhymes I'll need more than an album, need more than a career To share this all with you, so much to say but I guess we can start from here (Truth's Mom Speaks) (Verse 2) Raised to be modest, my silver spoon was plastic Got good grades, born a writer, writing raps was just a habit
Seen my first gun at 16, 40 caliber, just me And a white boy, but we'll just call em' Donny, rest in peace You know, adolescent traumas, too young to deal with all the dramas That come from living poor and being brought up in the projects Was never the one for sports, I loved the mic, I'd get behind it And come to life, at 18, in my heart, I knew I was the nicest Then came the awards, my songs got me on TV Thought I made it, graduated, started thinkin' sh** be easy Working part time, breaking boxes, seen grown men behind these registers n***as with degrees, not me, I wanted better But these Taylors forming holes, f** a job, I need some shows Mama scratching up tuition, but in my mind I'm bout to blow But I didn't, still inside my mama's home Forced to make a decision, pack my bags, it's time to go On a mission for the glory, knew no one would do it for me Caught a bus to New York City, metro swippin', train boarding 60 dollars in my pocket, and just my homie to support me 3 n***as in one apartment, and so begins my story... (Truth's Mom Speaks)