Released: June 28, 2010

Songwriter: Ab-Soul

Producer: Tae Beast

Boom
Yeah
Lifestyles of the Broke and Almost Famous

[Verse 1]
"Herbert Anthony you need to get you life together"
That's my momma bothered by, how I'm living life like whatever
They say im pressed for time, but I don't press the issue
I just stay on my grind,chain smoking marijuan help me free my mind
What a coincidence, like feeling guilt stricken by your innocence
In a sense im livin in my second childhood
Dont pay a lick of rent, where I eat, sleep, and shit
And when you twenty-two that don't sound good
Maybe if I went to school it'll be cool
I've have something to fall back on if this rap don't crack
Perhaps i'd have a better story had I sold crack
Lets go back, to Carson high fluctuating my goals
Writing rhymes through the lecture knew I should've took notes, yo
Sometimes I think im running in place, chasing hopes
So is my name as Ab-Soul or is it average joe

[Hook] (x2)
All this commotion goes in one ear, out the other
I'm still gone make it, one way or the other

(quit acting like a kid herb, gone be a man
It's a man's world, how you suppose to feed your fam
You need to act more like an adult, pull up your pants
I know you do music but what's your plan B man)

[Verse 2]
If I knew when I was younger would I grew to know
I coulda tackle things more different, coulda been more defensive
Coulda been more responsible, coulda been more persistent
But I didn't and I ain't repenting
My parents wake up in the morning to a cup of coffee
Then go off to work. It kills'em when im still in bed snoring
Only if they knew, their young boy was in the stu
'til like 5 AM cookin up classics to make them
Proud as house niggas that could stay in
That was rather brash, but you can replace these scraps with straight cash
I told jay I'mma buy her a house one day
I'll probably send Katie and Kira off to college too
But right now I'm broke as a joke, I should do comedy
Dude, I need a job, somebody hire me fast
So I could win my girl over, she probably cheatin on my ass
You motherfuckers better try and snatch her while she up for grabs

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
(Ab-Soul talking)
Its like real difficult to articulate it
It's like you got your goals. You got your aspirations
Your dreams, and you chasing that, you pursuing that
But in-turn it cost for you to sacrifice alot of your availability to go out their and get this paper, nah mean?
Its hard to say you a man still and livin at your momma house..

Yo, I had a conversation with my step-pops
Basically inquiring the time frame when I'mma pop
I told'em I ain't know but I'm determined to blow
Not like a fluffer, more like plaques that's platinum and gold
Thats on my great-grandmother
He shook his head and said:
"I don't know much about the music industry but whats been said
The people ain't making no bread, lets be more realistic
How you gone take care of a wife? how you gone feed your children
Im on my knees everyday tryna provide for yall
I bought that car that you dippin, but you don't chip in
You shouldve went to UCLA, like your cousin Jay
He got a big signing bonus, every year like 80k"
I looked him in the face and said "It ain't about the money
And honestly, buying an education sounds funny
But have a little faith in your son, I'll come through for ya,"
He said be a man Herb, thats all I really want from ya

[Hook]

Ab-Soul

Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American hip hop recording artist from Carson, California, signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope Records. Stevens is best known as a member of hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, along with fellow West Coast rappers and label-mates Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and ScHoolboy Q. He has so far released three independent studio albums under the label Top Dawg Entertainment, Longterm Mentality, Control System, and These Days, and one album jointly with Interscope, Do What Thou Wilt.