Yo, I seen it all, coke rise and kingdoms fall
Profits in sneaker boxes, riches hidden between the walls
The hood agony, I'm one of the few who ever understood Tragedy
Batteries not included in my music or holdin' up my spinal cord
Niggas be lyin' on wax, committin' vinyl fraud
Denyin' the fact they never slung or fired a Gat
Mega's tongue is ghetto, dun, hello
Where I'm from is the crime and graffiti and NYPD
Broken glass, .44's, open caskets
Shorty ballers pop shit when they rock hits the basket
The only life we know I flow so precisely, though
My chain got the icy glow
B-Mer Jeep shine with Lorenzos shine brightly, yo
Laugh now, cry later, one day I might be broke
And tellin' niggas I need coke, shit is real
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand
Yo, visualize Mahdi as a shorty Fidel Castro
Snotty nose, nappy afro
Never realized in due time what I would have though, yo
Before I spit at a ho I used to bag up blow
Little bastard, rockin' Pumas under two-tones
As we roam from the streets to the group home, yo
Watchin' mob flicks, clappin' at imaginary targets
Adolescents up in Spofford, facin' hardship
Newborns grew up on Anita Baker songs
In the 'hood, wonderin' why the police hate us all
Up late nights waitin' for the next day to fall
We're up late nights waitin' for the next day to fall
My stomach hurtin', still searchin' for a way out
On an island where P.C. was a gay house
Made my first board, stabbin' niggas on the way out
I knew cats who got bagged they first day out, yo
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand, yeah
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand
Yo, Trag, we been down for years
From rappin' in the 'hood to promisin' careers
It's all good, yo, the rap game is new to me
The crack game true to me
Accept the consequences and the blood money cruelty
Yo, remember you and me? Back in the days
You had a sheepskin, I had a goose and Pumas in gray
We even did the same dorm in C-74
More than boys we were fuckin' outlaws
If I could break you out the courtroom and clap through reporters
Kidnap the jurors and whack all their daughters
The Montanas, Al Po's and Rich Porters
Mandela time get smacked with two quarters
A life speed fuckin' with cracks and weed
Yo, I sniffed so much coke, I froze with nosebleeds
Jumpin' over snow cliffs without the skis
Then I saw shit was real and I switched my steez
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand
See the good Lord giveth and he taketh away
But niggas talk it and don't live it then they forced to pay
I'm just tryin' to be a man in this poison land
Forgive me, Father, they forced my hand