Released: September 16, 2003

Featuring: ​dead prez

Songwriter: M-1 ​stic.man Erykah Badu

Producer: Erykah Badu Tumblin’ Dice ​dead prez

Steady On the Grind

Every day is a struggle
How to hustle some doe
If you was raised in the hood
Well then you already know
It be days that be good
But mostly money be slow
Have you ever been hungry before?

Steady on the grind Stead on the grind
‘Cause I got to make it happen
My family depending on me

Steady on the grind Steady on the grind
‘Cause I got to make it happen
‘ain't nobody gone do it for me

Ha ooh wa ooh ha ooh wa ooh
Ha ooh wa ooh ha ooh wa ooh

Steady on the grind
Daily on the grind
Money on my mind
So heavy on my mind So heavy on my mind

[Verse 1 – M-1]
Well, I'm a freedom fighter. It's killa
Keep it Marcus Garvey, People Army guerrilla
Economic development—down for manual labor
Revolutionary hustler, fund raiser
Catch me doing outreach
See me running the streets
Politically educated but never graduated
Call me Doc like Mutulu Shakur, fight for the poor
Have you ever been hungry before? Nigga, fa sure
Mommy got a job making 'bout six somethin' an hour
She became the breadwinner when daddy was unemployed
Working forty-plus hours and kissing ass
Seeming like the only honest way she can get some cash
She struggglin', she don't know I be hustlin' pulling my own weight
I be hearing them fuss and fightin' at night mad late
Over economics, it's logic—meaning they don't got it
Living in the projects, money's the only object
She makes $280 a week, standing on her feet
The ends ain't even meetin', the family ain't eatin'
And the taxes is ten percent, the rest is for the rent
Then crime is what you get and niggas is innocent
See, it really ain't about if you eatin' or not eatin'
It's freedom or not freedom, breathin' or not breathin'
'Nother day, 'nother way, 'nother dollar spent
Gotta make a revolution out of fifteen cent

Erykah Badu

Erica Abi Wright, better know as the Erykah Badu is a multi-genre artist with influences spanning from Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Funk and Experimental. She is credited as one of the pioneers of Neo-Soul movement of the mid 90’s and would become one of the most prolific artist of the genre, earning her the title “First Lady Of Neo-Soul.”

Erykah’s career began in 1994, when she opened a show for D'angelo, and attracted the attention of Kedar Entertainment. Under the label, Erykah would release her debut alum Baduizm, which earned two Grammy awards. Erykah would use the monumentum of the debut release to create one of the strongest discographies of any R&B artist.