[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 pass, 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
Shit, the city’s burning - I can see the ash
[Hook]
Around the way, I can feel the hate
Thugs willin’ to be, killers 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 niggas 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 killer 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
