[00:06.470][Intro]
[00:14.020]I tell it like it is, then how it could be
[00:27.560]
[00:39.580][Verse 1]
[00:54.500]Heaven or hell boy, freedom or jail boy
[00:57.630]A Jansport bag full of *******t I could sell for
[01:00.950]The high or, the low boy, just me and my homeboys
[01:04.340]The police kill us so we made up our own laws
[01:07.840]Been fighting this long war, there's shells in this shores sand
[01:11.210]Still young but a grown man, could tell by my stature
[01:14.470]Been stackin' money and problems as I wait for the rapture
[01:17.740]Death never been no threat, I be chillin', relaxin'
[01:21.120]Everybody bleed
[01:22.470]
[01:22.700][Hook]
[01:22.980]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[01:26.060]To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
[01:29.510]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[01:32.930]To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
[01:36.380]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[01:39.770]With everything I need, with everything I want
[01:43.150]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[01:46.660]To do it like nobody has ever done
[01:49.650]
[01:49.940][Interlude 1]
[01:50.250]When I was in seventh grade my grandfather told me don't get caught lovin' the streets cause they never gonna love you back.
[01:55.250]But I feel like it's all we got so it's all we really do love.
[01:58.250]At the end of the day I feel like the problem is the people that control it don't really come from here,
[02:02.250]so they can't do nothing but look down on us. We look at them,
[02:05.250]we see somebody that could help but they look at us and all they see is a *****.
[02:10.250]It don't really matter anyway, we all gon' die one day man. One day
[02:13.830]
[02:16.710][Verse 2]
[02:17.350]Do doves cry when the black man dies, or do we croak with crows
[02:20.800]The young catch gun shots, the old catch the holy ghost
[02:24.210]Ho I love not, I never seen no pot of gold
[02:27.540]Just bar windows and six fours with no switches
[02:30.730]Was broke with no *******, she love me though
[02:33.870]You'll kill me if it make you richer, what you screaming, you my brother for
[02:37.990]Heart is where the hatred is, the brain that stained the love below
[02:41.220]And life is what you make it so I'm makin' money for my folks
[02:44.770]
[02:45.000][Hook]
[02:45.220]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[02:48.250]To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
[02:51.760]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[02:55.190]To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
[02:58.610]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[03:02.030]With everything I need, with everything I want
[03:05.500]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[03:08.980]To do it like nobody has ever done
[03:11.880]
[03:12.290][Interlude 2]
[03:12.560]When most people look at a person who does what I do they look at us with these preconceived notions as if,
[03:16.560]it's a set way for us all to be. But we all people at the end of the day so I wonder why we don't treat each other like it.
[03:23.560]You're looking at a person telling them that they story don't matter is really no better than me, walkin' down the streets tryna shoot at somebody.
[03:29.560]Cause all we got is these dreams man and y'all ain't never had to not have nothing,
[03:33.560]and that's the last thing you want for anybody. Is to not really have nothing. At all
[03:38.970]
[03:39.920][Verse 3]
[03:40.210]I been through hell and back, I seen my momma cry
[03:43.140]Seen my father hit the crack then hit the set to flip a sack
[03:46.530]I done seen my homies die then went on rides to kill 'em back
[03:49.810]So how you say you feel me when you never had to get through that?
[03:53.290]We live for they amu*****t like they view us from behind the glass
[03:56.610]No matter what we grow into, we never gonna escape our past
[04:00.140]So in this cage they made for me, exactly where you find me at
[04:03.630]Whether it's my time to leave or not, I never turn my back
[04:07.100]
[04:07.380][Hook]
[04:07.590]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[04:10.560]To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
[04:14.040]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[04:17.440]To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
[04:20.880]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[04:24.410]With everything I need, with everything I want
[04:27.770]I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
[04:31.260]To do it like nobody has ever done
[04:34.110]