[Sample - Intro] For how we say it ‘round my way Fo' sho...big things Act like ya know me Not a soul can hold me [Verse 1 - Sene] Yeah, look At five points where hell and heaven meet And demons war in these streets And angels fall short, and call for relief It seems I've seen many fall in the beef People crawling for peace Sons pa**, mothers fall to they knees Like ‘Please Lord, save my sweet boy!' Temple's bleeding all on mama's sleeves Face haunting all of mama's dreams Mama never sleeps, neither do these streets, watching Dreams of peace, with a piece poppin' Thieves creepin', rockin' cheap stockings over they grill Dust heads dip cigarettes and blow ‘em to chill Cheap pimps in purple suits, matching purple boots Freak free tryin' to freak, we know the truth You can't take a deep breath without chokin' It's filthy fam - not to mention how the livin's bad Can't make lemonade out of squeezing trash sh**, the city's burning - I can see the ash [Hook] Around the way, I can feel the hate Thugs willin' to be, k**ers who get a taste Evil in they eyes, demon at they waist Fast lane living, switching at the devil's pace Around the way, I can feel the pain I can see the tears drippin' off my mama's face Age is in her eyes, listen to her pray All she wanna know is that her only son is safe [Verse 2 - Co$$] Cash...us! Maybe this really is Babylon, the refuge The afterlife, the rescue Maybe this is after dawn, the light is dead It's as dark as night as Joker's cards as feelings do Dealing without the Dark Knight to fight crime Standin' in the middle of the heartless height Built up around all this madness - they call it life They overrated - I seen n***as die and overdose off a dose of hatred As they fall from high places Gangstas claim gangs in my city The rich and poor for having a knot, divide races Fist raised no justice, cops bust us for what now ‘Cause deep in they souls they don't trust us with our freedom But free is what these devils can't take, came late But realize, the love is never leavin' The Islamics praying Selat The Christians praying to God I'm playin' the odds It's never even [Hook] [Verse 3 - Sene] Yeah, look I heard God's in every one of us Funny I could never see God being a hustler Comin' for that rubber-bound roll he'll cut you jugular No, I see him cryin', in a den of lions Where his people get thrown For every beeper, chain and sneaker that's sold Throughout the city, while the hurt suffer All the feeling does is grown Like a k**er on a pilgrimage stroll To do his deed, I could split the seed With a pen in my O On a thirty-six, penning my quotes To ease pressure, while I eat depression Fast-food in a coat If you live it, fast-forward and cope There ain't no other way This world's a lonely place, it's like my mother say Instill fear like steer, there ain't no rubber blades Stay out of trouble's way, dream on another day But if the dreams are perceived as reality We all in a fallacy At least that's what my pastor say [Outro - D'Angelo Sample] All my anger (?), all my fear Ain't no justice - just us