Ghetto to Meadow

[Chorus: Oddisee]

From the ghetto to the meadow

Gotta hustle, gotta hustle

Cause a thug ain't nothing special

When your love go out the window

It's a struggle not to hustle

Til the trouble getting settled

Keep your head low in a tussle

Use your head though not the muscle

Upper level not the shovel

In the mud or out depends though

If you wanted out or in though

Just remember that the jungle

Out for blood and it gets shed though

Inner city where it's sinful

Where a grudge can be the end though

Nothing budging but the mental

[Verse 1: Oddisee]

Coming from a history of violence

Filled with misery and triumph

Lack of vision leads to buying

And that buying leads to selling

And that selling leads to clients

And clients lead to telling

And the telling leads to iron

In a cell or to your melon

Ain't no telling if you dying

When you living by the weapon

If they stepping then you riding

I seen youngins wet up like Poseidon just for smiling

That's aggression if you grew up where expression is a sign

That you ain't tough enough to see your deep depression as blessing

Cause if everybody stressing why you crying

That's method to survive the lack of resting when you're tired

Lack of breath when they put pressure on your neck and you complied

All you're left with is them questions that don't ever get obliged

If you speak up it's a threat and

If you digress then you're compliant

The divide between your effort and your net worth

Decide which gone get hurt

Before you pick a side place a bet first

[Chorus: Oddisee]

From the ghetto to the meadow

Gotta hustle, gotta hustle

Cause a thug ain't nothing special

When your love go out the window

It's a struggle not to hustle

Til the trouble getting settled

Keep your head low in a tussle

Use your head though not the muscle

Upper level not the shovel

In the mud or out depends though

If you wanted out or in though

Just remember that the jungle

Out for blood and it gets shed though

Inner city where it's sinful

Where a grudge can be the end though

Nothing budging but the mental

[Verse 2: Freeway]

I made it from the ghetto to the meadow

I was young and I was thieving, toting ninas in the ghetto

I grew up around some heathens, tryna be Robert De Niro

Toting that Tec with the air holes or the .38 special

Run go and tell the law I did it

To this drama, I'm committed I'll come for your niece and nephew

Slide through, hit them off, and then go eat a pizza pretzel

Ain't you happy that I switched this s*** to rap? It's a blessing

I'm so lucky, I was on the ducky 'fore they cuff me

Got a couple million in the tucky

It's expensive just to book me

Been popping since a rookie people can't overlook me

Either jumping off the jet, or in the mansion seeking refuge

Try me I'll set this b**** on fire like Lisa Lopez

Then pull off on a moped and go fast

My dear, my dear, my dear, you do not know me but they know me very well

Been providing all them street tales from the concrete to the cell

[Chorus: Oddisee]

From the ghetto to the meadow

Gotta hustle, gotta hustle

Cause a thug ain't nothing special

When your love go out the window

It's a struggle not to hustle

Til the trouble getting settled

Keep your head low in a tussle

Use your head though not the muscle

Upper level not the shovel

In the mud or out depends though

If you wanted out or in though

Just remember that the jungle

Out for blood and it gets shed though

Inner city where it's sinful

Where a grudge can be the end though

Nothing budging but the mental

From the ghetto to the meadow

Gotta hustle, gotta hustle

Cause a thug ain't nothing special

When your love go out the window

It's a struggle not to hustle

Til the trouble getting settled

Keep your head low in a tussle

Use your head though not the muscle

Upper level not the shovel

In the mud or out depends though

If you wanted out or in though

Just remember that the jungle

Out for blood and it gets shed though

Inner city where it's sinful

Where a grudge can be the end though

Nothing budging but the mental