Common - My City lyrics

This the city of Chicago, the state of confusion The style I'm using is free or at least it would be if my mind was Peep, I'm behind 'cuz I didn't handle my function while in high school Although I was cool the hood I live in ain't that proper 'Cuz a cop a stop ya and have you at a hundred and eleventh Before you can say not guilty, I'm not filthy nor am I rich Ain't that a b**h, like life is, not your wife is See that your better halve, do your math And peep that two halves make a whole And all I have to hold is my self pride So these streets I strive like a Black Panther Asking can the situation get much worst All I do is try to appeal to the ma**es As the phrase keep it real pa**es The teeth of too many phoney individuals Snakes, that smooth like criminals They create chemicals that the Earth hate Doing their damnedest to decrease my birth rate I'd settle for lesser knowing I'm worth wait Or at least my weight in precious gems So I'm steadily steadily steadily Trying to lose my religion like R E M Created in His own image so are we Him? And through all this crises sh**, I wonder where Christ is (sh**) Well, he damn sure not in K town or the wild hundreds Where they broadcast G.D. till the world blow-up and Stone run it Hunted by police for display in state vile cages Come out to make minimum wages And with a disease that are contagious, it is f**ing outrages The amounts of black and brown they lock up But the most high encourages me to put the glock up And stock up on do for self knowledge A brother couldn't afford to go to collage So I had to learn form the school of hard knock On the hard blocks of the Chi Even I, think about moving out to River Oaks As my liver soaks in mad Hennessey 'Cuz I got a bad tendency to do a lot of drinking Now I do a lot of thinking, blinking, was your third eye When you heard I was one of the chosen one Industry doors keep closing (Sing) Watch the closing doors, n***as want a record deal But can they deal with a record? 'Cuz once they get rich they tend to switch Like a sissy, please miss me With all that bullsh** you popping This knowledge I'm gonna keep dropping Even if you had one of them red octagon Motherf**ers say Mylik how you make your living? I say by breathing oxygen