[Verse 1: Jay Rock]
Yeah, Los Angeles, "Welcome to the Terrordome"
City of Satan, angels can't even get along
No lie, my town covered in darkness
Hoping that the sun just shine on us
Rolling up the kush, now I'm letting my mind wander
Into another place, I ain't tryna go down under
Life is like a race and we all tryna finish it
Shit never fair, strays hitting the innocent
The good die young where I'm from and it's sad to say
That somebody gotta die today
Tomorrow's never promised, but we living for the moment
Nigga, time never stops, it just keeps on going
Crackers just gave my young nigga four life sentences
Twenty-five times four, nigga, do the math
And the hood never have witnesses
Cause if we did, then them shots gon' blast
[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]
As I reflect, I start realizing I wanna
Make a way one day for me and my momma, family and friends
This ain't the way my life bout to end
So I'm quick to grab on my pen and
Give 'em something my people sure to feel
Give 'em something that I know is all the way real
[Verse 2: ScHoolboy Q]
Just wakin' up, mind playing tricks on me
Got the fifth on me, gotta take a risk homie
Was a ball player till the coach pissed on me
Keep it real, I could take you down the list homie
Be a tradition, see these Chucks be a mission
Burner be the fuel to the flame, the key to the ignition
If you banging, be serious, boys run up in your pad
Point-blank, period, moms ain't hearing it
Niggas said 'cuz lil nigga got blasted
Oh well, give a shit, shouldn't half-assed it
Only time you with it, when your niggas all tripping
Caught your ass slipping, now I'm stepping up my crip and steady dipping
Riding through the city in lights, living it trife
Wrong intersection, ready to fight
Hopping out with my own agenda, who the contender?
Better hope this motherfucker jam (BLAHH!)
[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]
As I reflect, I start realizing I wanna
Make a way one day for me and my momma, family and friends
This ain't the way my life bout to end
So I'm quick to grab on my pen and
Give 'em something my people sure to feel
Give 'em something that I know is all the way real
[Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar]
Uh, as I'm hearing the first and second verse
I try to analyse the feeling that's felt in the song
I want to tell Rock and Q to go to church
But that's a hypocrite because I ain't been in so long
I stare at the world from a righteous point of view
And realize a crisis coming
Novocain couldn't numb it, the pain is unbearable times two
Let's rally a team, summon, and school the youth
How you feel about it?
[Verse 4: Ab-Soul]
Man, I feel the same way as you
It hurts my soul, like a needle piercing
Through the bottom of my shoe and if you behind bars
Hold your head, pause
And if you in close range with a nigga with a gun in his waist
I pray the intervention is divine
I got a cousin in jail and handful of homies in heaven
But earlier than expected, what the hell?
[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]
As I reflect, I start realizing I wanna
Make a way one day for me and my momma, family and friends
This ain't the way my life bout to end
So I'm quick to grab on my pen and
Give 'em something my people sure to feel
Give 'em something that I know is all the way real
