[00:31.290]I grew up, a fuckin' screw up
[00:33.590]Tie my shoe up,
[00:34.350]wish they was newer
[00:35.480]Damn, need somethin' newer
[00:37.110]In love with the baddest girl in the city,
[00:39.440]I wish I knew her
[00:40.310]I wish I won't so shy,
[00:41.800]I wish I was a bit more fly
[00:43.540]I wish that I, could tell her
[00:45.670]how I really feel inside
[00:46.450]That I'm the perfect nigga for her,
[00:48.950]but then maybe that's a lie
[00:49.920]She like a certain type of nigga,
[00:51.600]and it's clear I'm not that guy
[00:53.240]Ball player, star player,
[00:54.620]I'm just watchin' from the side
[00:57.140]On the bench,
[00:57.540]cause my lack of confidence won't let me fly
[00:59.680]I ain't grow up with my father,
[01:01.410]I ain't thinkin' bout that now
[01:02.930]Fast forward four years or
[01:04.860]so from now I'll probably cry
[01:06.330]When I realize what I missed,
[01:07.810]but as of now my eyes are dry
[01:09.480]Cause I'm tryna stay alive,
[01:10.910]In the city where too many niggas die
[01:13.550]Dreamin' quiet tryna dodge a suit and tie
[01:15.740]Who am I? Aye who am I (Yeah)
[01:22.160]Things change, rearrange and so do I
[01:26.290]It ain't always for the better dawg I can't lie
[01:29.600]I get high cause the lows can be so cold
[01:32.850]I might bend a little bit but I don't fold
[01:36.010]One time for my mind and two for yours
[01:39.330]I got food for your
[01:41.270]thoughts to sooth your soul
[01:42.450]If you see my tears fall just let me be
[01:45.690]Move along, nothing to see
[01:47.630]I always did shit the hard way,
[01:49.610]my niggas slangin' in the hallway
[01:51.810]Burnt CD's and trees like this was broadway,
[01:55.220]Times Square
[01:56.200]Kept the dimes there in the locker
[01:58.200]Some Reggie Miller
[01:59.480]With more brown hairs than Chewbacca
[02:01.670]Whispers that he got it for the low low
[02:03.910]Sell a, dime for a dub,
[02:05.930]them white boys ain't know no better
[02:07.710]Besides,
[02:08.520]what's twenty dollars to a nigga like that?
[02:11.060]He tell his pops he need some lunch
[02:12.790]and he gon' get it right back
[02:14.170]I peep game
[02:15.230]Got home snatched my mama keychain,
[02:17.320]took her whip
[02:18.380]The appeal, too ill to refrain
[02:20.470]I hit the boulevard pull up
[02:21.800]to my nigga front door
[02:24.080]His mama at home,
[02:25.200]she still let em' hit the blunt though
[02:27.110]I told her hello
[02:28.230]and sat with my nigga and laughed
[02:30.360]And talked about
[02:31.430]how we gon' smash all the bitches in class
[02:33.440]I complimented
[02:34.300]how I see him out here getting his cash,
[02:36.710]and just asked
[02:37.980]"What a nigga gotta do to get that? Put me on"
[02:40.940]He just laughed when he seen I was sure
[02:43.170]17 years breathing his demeanor said more
[02:46.400]He told me,
[02:48.140]"Nigga you know how you sound right now?
[02:49.720]If you wasn't my mans,
[02:52.310]I would think that you a clown right now
[02:53.030]Listen, you everything I wanna be
[02:55.550]that's why I fucks with you
[02:56.820]So how you looking up to me,
[02:58.640]when I look up to you
[03:00.220]You bout to go get a degree,
[03:02.170]I'ma be stuck with two choices
[03:04.000]Either graduate to weight
[03:05.420]or selling number two
[03:06.550]For what? A hundred bucks or two a week?
[03:09.040]Do you think that you would know
[03:10.940]what to do if you was me?
[03:12.470]I got, four brothers,
[03:14.450]one mother that don't love us
[03:16.740]If they ain't never want us
[03:18.470]why the fuck they never wore rubbers?"
[03:20.000]I felt ashamed to have ever complained
[03:22.300]about my lack of gear
[03:23.530]And thought about how far we done came
[03:25.570]From trailer park to a front yard
[03:27.510]with trees in the sky
[03:28.750]Thank you mama dry your eyes,
[03:30.740]there ain't no reason to cry
[03:31.900]You made a genius and I,
[03:33.220]ain't gon' take it for granted
[03:35.160]I ain't gon' settle for lesser,
[03:36.810]I ain't gon' take what they handed
[03:38.430]Nah I'm gon' take what they owe me
[03:39.950]and show you that I can fly
[03:41.630]And show ol' girl what she missing
[03:43.260]The illest nigga alive
[03:44.990]Aye who am I?
[03:46.100]Things change, rearrange and so do I
[03:48.800]It ain't always for the better dawg I can't lie
[03:52.060]I get high cause the lows can be so cold
[03:55.370]I might bend a little bit but I don't fold
[03:59.080]One time for my mind and two for yours
[04:02.090]I got food for your thoughts to sooth your soul
[04:04.950]If you see my tears fall just let me be
[04:08.400]Move along, nothing to see
[04:10.140]I never felt better