grew up hard

uh-huh

whoo

just smoothing it out

right now

my nigga halloween

we gon' get rich this year

nigga

sip on this little bit of odor

made brown

zone out

turn the lights off

ant boogie

what up? uh-huh

in the crib

with my wiz

getting my grown man on

listening to classic soul

with the slow jams on

smokey robinson

tears of a clown

shedding tears

popping beers

almost twenty five years in the town

i seen niggaz die off

like dandelions in the fall

niggaz heard of chip banks and left him lying in the hall

your boy sandy brock was ill

like kobe bryant with the ball

it's no exceptions

even the biggest giants gotta fall

cuz we living in denial

but these lessons are vital

when marinating in the slums

you gotta practice survival

now everybody wants to be next american idol

but these are more than just songs pressed up your vinyl

being rich is a poor man's dream

and we all wanna shine

but we all can't green

knahimean?

being rich is a poor man's dream

and we all wanna shine

but we all can't green. i grew up hard

maybe you grew up harder

but i ain't been to many operas

or had money for private doctors

as harsh it sound

these just a tears of a clown

i grew up hard

maybe you grew up harder

the message is i'm too strong to hold down

i know the ledge

and i ain't planning to drown

as harsh it sound

these just a tears of a clown

momma ain't raised no fool

they say we gotta save the children

but first

we gotta save our spoons

i was taught not to waste my food

even if i didn't like it

every scrap on my plate got chewed

either you ate

or you didn't eat

the memories are bitter sweet

used to get teased by my friends

cuz i had bigger feet

i think about them jokes and laugh

crack a smile

cuz as a child

i never knew that being broke was bad

growing up i was close to my dad

but that still didn't stop a nigga

from putting that coke in them bags

that was the past

now

i'm riding with the oak in the dash

got jealous niggaz hating

big time

hoping i crash

i can't blame 'em

and on the same note

i can't change 'em

let a nigga disrespect my shit

i'm gonna flame 'em

that's word to my son little jay

my little homey

ask niggaz how your boy get down

ain't nothing phony

yeah

they say two heads are better than one

and in the process

i learned that slow progress

is better than none

that's why i'm still here persuing my goals

baking that bread

in the bakery

if i ain't out

doing no shows

i hit the block

once in a blue

and front with the crew

and show niggaz a good time

by getting drunk in the stud'

some niggaz find happiness

with a blunt and a brew

they talented niggaz

but they just need something to do

it's kinda hard try'nna look beyond buildings and bricks

we can't condone broken homes

when our children is sick

try'nna survive off the cereal and milk from the wic

and all the good ones we got

be getting killed in the mix

he could of been the next jordan

who knows

the next emmitt

young tiger woods

or the new arthur ashe of tennis

that's why i'm looking past the gimmicks

getting cash with dennis

criminal grind

we gonna smash the business

yeah

when you see that big thing pull up

don't be mad at us

man

be glad

we done made it from the projects

we done came up

stapleton houses

man

straight up

theodore

toney starks enterprise