Imagine

[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar] I sit on the studio couch Ask myself, "what the fuck am I thinking about?" Thinking 'bout living without the past and the present A Dr. Dre record, imagine, I drift off, 600 seconds 10 minutes exact, letting my mind explore K. Dot had turned Curious George You know, off the hardship is what I'm curious for Like what if Pac had never looked left to holla at broads? Before he turned right to get them shots through the door? They say Suge did it, but he was in emergency clinic So he'd risk his own life to get someone else killed? But in the process, get injure? It don't make sense It's like 'The Da Vinci Code', trying to solve the crime of these rap souls What if B.I.G. never did it big? Never went to L.A., would it make a difference in them bulletholes? Would it make my flow more persistent? Would it raise up the bar of competition? Who knows Who told Nastradamus baby momma was fucking with Hov? Would the battle be less interesting if it wasn't personal? If Jay wasn't intimate, there'd probably be less people listening People thinking it's a publicity stunt What if he partnered with Jay and still didn't blow? Hip-Hop would really be fucked Something like Milli Vanilli Nothing different, quite similar Filling up my mind capacity Thinking about Martin Luther On the balcony, what if the shooter– Better yet, what if Malcolm on the side? Killed two birds with one stone, both would've died Now let's rewind [Chorus: D'Angelo] Before we go, can you imagine? Picture years with your mom Can you imagine? Hang her picture in the sky Can you imagine? Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life [Verse 2: Jay Rock] Imagine if Tookie was a Blood? Look, no disrespect But would there be more Bloods than Crips sets? Dominating the population of LA Orange County, the Valley, and back up to the Bay? Matter fact, imagine if we didn't really start this gangster shit Y'all wouldn't have nothin' to spit No drive-bys, no flags stickin' out pockets No N.W.A. dudes, just rappin' like Cre Cru Imagine if Mike Concepcion walked on his own two Feet no paralyzed, would he be alive? Or would he been lost his life to the streets? No match, no cars in that driveway What if Freeway Rick never was a kingpin? On this L.A. strip, would these rap niggas use his name? Nah, what if rap niggas never had rap? Would they try to fall back on this drug game? These rappers ass backwards Now these rappers getting caught with the cocaine But to smoke, not to slang Imagine that people not knowing these rap niggas insane Just think about it [Chorus: D'Angelo] Before we go, can you imagine? Picture years with your mom Can you imagine? Hang her picture in the sky Can you imagine? Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life [Verse 3: Punch] Imagine life without death, would you even feel alive? Your people that passed, what if they never died? Imagine seeing your mom cry, tears of happiness Knowing her son safe, and she ain't lose him to this madness The street living, what if the crack epidemic Never reached the projects and destroyed our buildings? Turned most of us to killers, innocent victims Imagine if heroin didn't affect our system They say drug money funding the labels today What about the drug money that's funding the C.I.A.? Imagine if they really tried to fix these streets Would they start in the hood, or executive suites? Where the real criminals meet, and principals beef with me You could possibly live without heat Imagine if Al Gore had won that election Would the Twin Tower buildings still stand erected? Imagine the penal system without witness protection Would there be these many cowards on the stand telling? I don't know, I'm just speaking my mind Lost in my own soul, just press rewind And imagine (Training day, training day)