Released: June 30, 2015
Songwriter: André 3000 Brian Kidd DJ Dahi No I.D. Vince Staples
Producer: DJ Dahi No I.D.
[Intro: Andre 3000]
I tell it like it is, then how it could be
Like it is, then how it could be
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it is, then how it could be
Like it is, then how it could be
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it is, then how it could be
Like it is, then how it could be
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
[Verse 1: Vince Staples]
Heaven or Hell, boy, freedom or jail, boy
A Jansport bag full of shit I could sell for
The high or the low, boy, just me and my homeboys
The police kill us so we made up our own laws
Been fighting this long war, there's shells in this shore's sand
Still young, but a grown man, could tell by my stature
Stacking money and problems as I wait for the rapture
Death never been no threat, I be chilling, relaxing
Everybody bleed
[Chorus: Vince Staples]
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
With everything I need, with everything I want
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To do it like nobody has ever done
[Interlude 1: Vince Staples]
When I was in seventh grade, my grandfather told me, "Don't get caught loving the streets, 'cause they never gon' love you back." But I feel like it's all we got, so it's all we really do love. At the end of the day, I feel like the problem is the people that control it don't really come from here. So they can't do nothing but, you know, look down on us. We look at them, we see somebody that could help; they look at us and all they see is a nigga. But it don't really matter anyway. We all gon' die one day, man. One day.
[Verse 2: Vince Staples]
Do doves cry when a Black man die, or do we croak with crows?
The young catch gunshots, the old catch the Holy Ghost
Ho, I love not, I never seen no pot of gold
Just bar windows and six-fours with no switches
Was broke with no bitches; she love me, though
You'll kill me if it make you richer
What you screaming you my brother for?
Heart is where the hatred is, the brain'll stain the love below
And life is what you make it, so I'm making money for my folks
[Chorus: Vince Staples]
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
With everything I need, with everything I want
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To do it like nobody has ever done
[Interlude 2: Vince Staples]
When most people look at a person who does what I do, they look at us with these preconceived notions, as if it's a set way for us all to be. But we all people at the end of the day, so I wonder why we don't treat each other like it. You looking at a person, telling them that they story don't matter, really no better than me, walking down the street tryna shoot at somebody. 'Cause all we got is these dreams, man, and y'all ain't never had to not have nothing. And that's the last thing you want for anybody is to not really have nothing at all.
[Verse 3: Vince Staples]
I been through Hell and back, I seen my momma cry
Seen my father hit the crack, then hit the set, then flip the sack
I done seen my homies die, then went on rides to kill 'em back
So how you say you feel me when you never had to get through that?
We live for they amusement like they view us from behind the glass
No matter what we grow into, we never gon' escape our past
So in this cage they made for me exactly where you find me at
Whether it's my time to leave or not, I never turn my back
[Chorus: Vince Staples]
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
With everything I need, with everything I want
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To do it like nobody has ever done, nobody has ever done
I tell it like it is, then how it could be
Like it is, then how it could be
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it is, then how it could be
Like it is, then how it could be
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it is, then how it could be
Like it is, then how it could be
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
I tell it like it— tell it how it—
[Verse 1: Vince Staples]
Heaven or Hell, boy, freedom or jail, boy
A Jansport bag full of shit I could sell for
The high or the low, boy, just me and my homeboys
The police kill us so we made up our own laws
Been fighting this long war, there's shells in this shore's sand
Still young, but a grown man, could tell by my stature
Stacking money and problems as I wait for the rapture
Death never been no threat, I be chilling, relaxing
Everybody bleed
[Chorus: Vince Staples]
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
With everything I need, with everything I want
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To do it like nobody has ever done
[Interlude 1: Vince Staples]
When I was in seventh grade, my grandfather told me, "Don't get caught loving the streets, 'cause they never gon' love you back." But I feel like it's all we got, so it's all we really do love. At the end of the day, I feel like the problem is the people that control it don't really come from here. So they can't do nothing but, you know, look down on us. We look at them, we see somebody that could help; they look at us and all they see is a nigga. But it don't really matter anyway. We all gon' die one day, man. One day.
[Verse 2: Vince Staples]
Do doves cry when a Black man die, or do we croak with crows?
The young catch gunshots, the old catch the Holy Ghost
Ho, I love not, I never seen no pot of gold
Just bar windows and six-fours with no switches
Was broke with no bitches; she love me, though
You'll kill me if it make you richer
What you screaming you my brother for?
Heart is where the hatred is, the brain'll stain the love below
And life is what you make it, so I'm making money for my folks
[Chorus: Vince Staples]
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
With everything I need, with everything I want
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To do it like nobody has ever done
[Interlude 2: Vince Staples]
When most people look at a person who does what I do, they look at us with these preconceived notions, as if it's a set way for us all to be. But we all people at the end of the day, so I wonder why we don't treat each other like it. You looking at a person, telling them that they story don't matter, really no better than me, walking down the street tryna shoot at somebody. 'Cause all we got is these dreams, man, and y'all ain't never had to not have nothing. And that's the last thing you want for anybody is to not really have nothing at all.
[Verse 3: Vince Staples]
I been through Hell and back, I seen my momma cry
Seen my father hit the crack, then hit the set, then flip the sack
I done seen my homies die, then went on rides to kill 'em back
So how you say you feel me when you never had to get through that?
We live for they amusement like they view us from behind the glass
No matter what we grow into, we never gon' escape our past
So in this cage they made for me exactly where you find me at
Whether it's my time to leave or not, I never turn my back
[Chorus: Vince Staples]
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make it up to heaven, despite the things I've done
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To make my momma proud, feel like her only son
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
With everything I need, with everything I want
I gotta be, I gotta be, I gotta be the one
To do it like nobody has ever done, nobody has ever done