J. Cole - Mama Told Me lyrics

[Verse 1: Omen] Tryna follow my intuition as I'm on this million dollar mission Mama told me I was special, thank God I listened My environment never let me be a pretender Similar interest with them dope boys but I was different The hoop dreaming lonely child, hung around Hyde Park, Chatham and the Stony Isle Pimps, players, gang wars, living in a lonely town Who can I relate to? Feeling like the Golden child, Chi city culture Full of pain, full of soul singers Dead bodies in our rivers but their souls linger A young black man living with unrealistic dreams But luckily I've seen some unrealistic things A child from the city took the good route Always fit in and always stood out, complex Layered, rather show you than say it Though I know my greatness is always understated Mama working 12 hours days on her feet Coming home, cooking dinner, made her son wanna weep My step father working while I'm zoning the beats Meanwhile my biological was roaming the streets Tryna be an entertainer, but my heart held love, no anger He out there tryna be a singer I guess this just the life I was made for [Hook] Mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special Gotta love her for that (yeah) Mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special Gotta love her for that (yeah) [Verse 2: J. Cole] Yeah, truly yours, J. Cole My mama coulda been a movie star You know like Judy Garland I went to St. Johns, I coulda went to Juliard Cause my beautiful mind mixed with my musical bond Deep as a funeral line, dawg, I get it from my mama I used to be embarra**ed getting picked up in that Honda Thought my n***as might play me if they found out that my mama was a white lady So like gravy, had to cover that Plus my older brother black but he look white In an all black school, picture what that look like No wonder he was under-achieving, not believing in himself Coming home, just be keeping to himself Looking back through the silence, he was screaming out for help Maybe this verse can find the words to get the demons out himself So yeah, I'm exercising Right now my record climbing, I'm sort of a stair master n***as got there faster, I took the long route, I never been a scared rapper Boy this ain't Fear Factor, they tell me can you hear the wrath spilling out these paragraphs Made the world clear a path Bet I'll be on top from now till the hereafter I'm special, mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special You know I love her for that That's right, I'm special [Hook] Mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special You know I love her for that You know I love her for that [Omen - Verse 3] Tell me, whats the marketing plan for realness? What's the demographic target audience for brilliance? What's the first week numbers for my inspiration? Who can A&R this pa**ion and this dedication Name: Omen This ain't a verse, this a revelation We need some more Sanaa Lathan's in our population I'm meeting women I would never date The kind that say they want a marriage, but they really want a wedding day I'm seeing groupies tryna act like they don't notice me But the writings on the wall call it hoetry Desire calls, but that's not what my focus be Music's forever my lady unlike Jodeci See when a leader's speaking, you should simply follow suit I stay in the zone like it's college hoops, let me show you how to shoot You know aim for the goal, these are just the chronicles They're calling me the Honorable, though I am not no m**m I'm finna blow like woodwinds, tricky like a good sin I'm something you've mistooken, mistaked him for fakeness Haters don't know what you facing Oh goodness, oh gracious They looking at greatness I was special, mama told me I was special [Hook] Mama told me I was special Gotta love her for that (yeah) Mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special Mama told me I was special Gotta love her for that (yeah) Gotta love her for that (yeah) Gotta love her for that (yeah) Gotta love her for that Gotta love her for that (yeah) Gotta love her for that (yeah) Mama told me I was special