Released: July 31, 2011

Featuring: Voli Contra Omen

Songwriter: Voli Contra Omen J. Cole

Producer: Voli Contra

[Intro: Zulema & J. Cole]
God help the hungry children
Help the homeless children
Help them to survive the world they can't understand
Yeah, sip of this ma'fuckin' drink
God help the child who's needy
Who needs love not pity
Lean back, volatile
Help them to survive this cold and bitter land
Yeah
Yeah, hey...

[Chorus (Condensed): J Cole]
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that was rolled for me?
I won't cry about it, I won't cry about it
Is this the life that You chose for me, Lord?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that You rolled for me?
Yeah, yeah

[Verse 1: J Cole]
This is The Ville, home of the fast-lifers
Where we get high and don't come down, we gas prices
Man, I wonder how hard to live my past life was
'Cause this one hard, I could show you my scars, I ain't cryin' though
Ayy, save that pity for the next man
Or that girl getting beatdown by her ex-man
Ayy, hold your head, mama, I know you wish that nigga dead, mama
If I can find a way to kill him, I won't have nar' drama
Damn mama, tell me who you love
This one is for the boy that see his mama on drugs
I feel your pain, boy, and just know I been through the same, boy
That lady need you more than ever, don't be ashamed, boy
'Cause when it rained, boy, that was your umbrella
The one that changed your pissy sheets when you was a young fella
And now she in the bedroom on her knees
Staring at the sky, screaming "Lord, please!" Tell me now:

[Chorus: J Cole & Omen]
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that You rolled for me?
I won't cry about it, I won't cry about it
Is this the life that You chose for me, Lord?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that was rolled for me?
I won't cry about it, I won't cry about it

[Verse 2: Omen]
It's like...
Soon as you cling on my mind's sayin' "be gone"
I leave 'em with wrinkled foreheads, they now Klingons
Confused, 'cause friendship's abused and I'm sorry for it
My life performance been trifling, sometimes I fight my conscience
Was never given spades, but I always had the heart
Always misplayin' the hand that was dealt the joker cards
Is what I was feelin' like, lonely, low energy
Fallin' slow, clinically, ballin'? No, but we finna be
Don't pity me ever, even when them haters answerin'
Mind state of the victor, no victim, I'm just a champion
Money comin' slow, God, intervene
Spirit's never broken, I'm just focused, don't pity me, no no no
You see this pain put a strain on my whole life
I seen the rain, seen my dreams turn to long nights
But all I ask is don't pity me, no, no
Don't pity me, no, no, don't pity me, no, no
No

[Chorus (Extended): J Cole]
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that You rolled for me?
I won't cry about it, I won't cry about it
Is this the life that You chose for me, Lord?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that was rolled for me?
I won't cry about it, I won't cry about it
Hey, I can't cry about it
Nuh, gotta be strong, can't cry about it
Hey, uh

[Verse 3: Voli]
Yeah
And I
Freestyle life, can barely write the rent
Yearly income can barely keep this music life in check
Call up mama, "Hate to borrow money with Christmas near
Hey, you know what, how 'bout we make each other gifts this year?"
Friends are calling me up, asking me if I'm signed yet
Who I'm working with? Am I making dollar signs yet?
Disappointment within their voices - do they pity me?
Disbelief - I'ma stay driven like them city streets
But ah, it seems like every day is rainy weather
Can barely fit my pain and pride beneath the same umbrella
But he don't care, he don't care, it's hard to keep em dry
No more caterpillar, now you see him change: peeping Tom
Yeah, this life will flash before your eyes
So get your match before your fire turns to ash, no more drive
No more gas, before you cry, get your last, before you die
Live your past with no regrets, broken necks, no looking back, man

[Chorus (Condensed): J Cole]
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that You rolled for me?
I won't cry about it, I won't cry about it
Is this the life that You chose for me, Lord?
Is this the life that You chose for me?
Is this the dice that was rolled for me?
Yeah!

J. Cole

Jermaine Lamarr Cole (b. January 28th, 1985), better known as J. Cole, is a rapper and producer who was born in Frankfurt, Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He gained a passion for rap at a young age and first went by the names Blaza and Therapist (the latter was given to him by Bomb Sheltah, a respected rap group from Fayetteville) before settling on his own name.

He first started getting recognition in 2007 with the release of his debut mixtape The Come Up. First, after a failed attempt to share a CD of his with Jay-Z, it would later be Hov, that would come to his attention after he heard Cole’s song “Lights Please”, Jay-Z would go on to make J. Cole his first signing to his then newly formed record label, Roc Nation, in 2009.

Since then he has become one of the biggest names of the “new school” era, with the release of five platinum certified albums. His debut release Cole The Sideline Story defied industry expectations by selling over 200,000 copies in its first week without a top 40 hit single at the time and his sophomore Born Sinner, saw him go head-to-head with Kanye West in a now iconic sales battle in Hip-Hop. Before this, Cole released two projects that would eventually become his Truly Yourz series, the third project debuted on the deluxe edition of Born Sinner.