Handcuffs

[Intro: Police Officer, Lupe Fiasco]

Okay, kid

Say what you gotta say

You know what I'm sayin'?

You know, some niggas really out there bad (Uh,) you know what I'm sayin'?

Some niggas is forced in positions (Uh, uh)

Where they gotta do things where they don't wanna do it

You know what I'm sayin'?

So, some niggas forced to dope, sell dope (Uh, uh)

Some niggas forced to pimp, you know what I'm sayin'? (Uh)

But you got some niggas out there that

Just lazy, you know what I'm sayin'?

Niggas ain't forced to do nothin' (Uh)

Niggas got other options, they just choose not to do 'em, you know?

(Revenge)

[Verse 1]

Sittin' in the back of the police car position

Your mission is forgettin' and denyin' the existence (Woo)

Thinkin' of different ways to keep from submittin'

And continuin' to not to mention, like that (Uh)

Grand Marquis Police Interceptor edition

With the wall, so you can barely fit in

Knees is touchin' the front seat, shiftin'

'Cause your handcuffs is cuttin' your wrist and

You're wishin' that he would drive faster, please

But he slows through the hood as he drives past the free

He's cool but you're trippin': the quicker you get there

The quicker you sit there, cuffed to a bench and (Uh)

They playin' good cop, bad cop, one of them pretendin'

So you rewind yourself

To your uneasy recline in the back of the police car

Hand-cuffed and the seat belt

Nah, you ain't gotta quicken the pace

That just give me more time to sit and erase

Alibi and alias, switch and replace

Think about then forget about an escape

Thank God that I'm up in the States

'Cause if I was in Russia who knows how they'd do a hustler

Wait, I ain't a hustler, I'm straight

I'm damn near a buster, no laws I break

Money I never seen, guns I didn't hold

Drugs I never sold, calls I didn't make

Nigga, this is a waste of your time and mine

"Is that uncomfortable?", "I'm fine"

A case? This ain't even a fine

You ain't find nothing, homie, not even a dime

Not even a dime that'll drop dime on me

I know you was dyin', so you put a dime on me

I know that's a crime, you 'posed to fight crime for me

Protect and to serve, prosecute, correct

And return to the homies, and that's gon' send 'em

Direct to the curb so you can put 'em back on me

[Chorus]

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(You know)

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(Don't get me wrong, some people ain't got no options)

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(You know what I'm sayin'? They surroundings and they environment)

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(And the way their society works on things)

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(Actually forces them and directs them, you know what I'm sayin'?)

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(To the point where they ain't got no options)

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(So they gotta go out there and carry guns and)

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(They carry guns to protect the dope and the dope make the money)

[Verse 2]

He's sittin' in the front of the police car position

His mission is bendin', pinnin' charges on niggas

Even if they didn't, he's sittin' in court

Lyin', testifyin' against defendants, like that

Uh, and he love to choke niggas

He don't trip with the rich, he just like the broke niggas

Probably did more dirt in the street than most niggas

Even the old people don't like him, 'cause the way he approach niggas

Nigga, you ain't no better than me

Just a hustler with a badge, confiscate the dope money

Put it with your retirement boat money

You ain't buildin' no playgrounds in the poor for some cash

That ain't a pension, that's a shoe box stash

With a Glock to protect it, we both undercover

Check it, thinkin' that the good we do

Gon' outweigh the sinnin' that we do to collect it (Uh)

Saying "it's for the community", they don't value us

Only around because the property value up

And they gotta clean the street 'fore they put the houses up

Knock them Section 8's down (Woo)

Put them 200,000's up (Uh)

Feel he don't get paid enough to kick in doors

Raid and cuff, so he use what

Niggas get on the street to supplement the wages cut

So he gotta keep just enough niggas

Out there hustlin' to keep his paper up

Like that (You see, nigga?)

Maybe he should be in them handcuffs

[Chorus]

Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs

(Revenge!) Handcuffs, handcuffs, handcuffs