Lyrics

From day, one of my birth or at least that's what I'm told
I was told I would never amount to nothing once I'm old
World was cold trying to make some sense out of the nonsense
Trying to get a read on life but I can't get past the contents
Of this book I took a look but am I missing chapters
Of how to get from where I am to happily ever after
Story after story from the gutter to the glory
Change the narrative and rewrite history not his story
Time to develop a vision or we perish with no vision
Don't cook rock up in the kitchen keep our peeps up out the prison
One decision from a deadly situation single mama did it all the dilemma I'm facing
Heat and lights not a guarantee for my mama bro and me
Many of us had potential but we end up smoking weed
Selling crack or stick 'em up feeling like we got no choice
Suffocated and ignored feeling like we have no voice

Chorus:
Think if you were hungry think if you were poor
Think if you had no heat and lights slept on the floor
Mama had two jobs to put food in the fridge
Daddy left and didn't know if we died or lived

Looking back at my life wondering how I made it out
Thinking about the struggle and stress and mess my father faded out
Of the picture I was two my brother three
All the drama made it through across the street from Rainier Beach
And our Christmas had no presents, and our daddy wasn't present
Many days at home alone without him taught me fatty lessons
Growing up with nada it can make you crazy or change your fate
Put your hands up in the sky with me if you can relate
Hustle to my muscle couldn't settle for a death sentence
Prison sentence cycle of the same change the game listen
In high school Mr Yakish saw my future brighter
Said this life is what you make it but you have to be a fighter

Chorus:
Think if you had hope inside if you could find the strength
If you could hold on if you could go the length
If you could persevere suck it up buttercup
Give it back once you get it - think