Released: November 22, 2012

Songwriter: Fabolous

Producer: Just Blaze

[Intro]
Cause I know how niggas is
When you in the streets and you hustlin'
You know how niggas is
Cause you was one of them niggas, you know what I'm sayin'
You were on the corner tryin' to get your money
You see a nigga roll around in a Benz or a Bimmer, know what I'm sayin'
Fuck that nigga, know what I'm sayin'
I murder that nigga, I ride that nigga, you know what I'm sayin'
Now I'm the nigga in the hood, know what I'm sayin'
Now you guys own the corner, so I know the same speeches comin' up
You know what I'm sayin', it's all good though
I ain't trippin'
I'm that nigga

[Verse 1]
I’m old enough to know better, young enough to not give a fuck
Rather hold my head high and die than live and duck
Remember I was down to die just to live it up
But life’s a bitch and that judge is quick to give her up
They say life is short, 'cept when lookin' through them bars
Gotta keep your head up, I be lookin' to the stars
I been through a lot, wasn’t lookin' for no cars
Didn't kill me though, now I’m here lookin' at the scars
Sometimes you get caught by people lookin' from a far
That’s how it is when you out here takin' cookies from the jar
That’s what my son said, they came and took him and his draws
He support the family, they took his mama favorite bra
The feds snatched my favorite boy
These the rainy days they say you should be savin' for
But when sun shines no one carries umbrellas
And if they did, we would look at them as dumb fellas
I’m trying to become something, they probably become jealous
Have a lot to say about it, but afraid to come tell us
I’m here to beat the odds that was set against me
Wished the worst luck to anyone who bet against me
I wanna be somebody, somebody that’s never been
No squares in my circle, best shape I ever been
I’m growing up, my daddy planted a seed
My momma watered me with a plan to succeed
I was that kid in the ghetto, hand full of seeds
But I’m here now and I don’t plan to recede
Sometimes I think I lucked up at right time
Imagine I would’ve fucked up that night, slime
It hurts to even think about it
Would be in the streets, thirsty, trying to get a drink up out it
Black hoodie, I pull that quatro cinco out
And put that iron to your clothes like I’m taking wrinkles out it
Take every Franklin, Grant, Jackson, and Lincoln out it
Look you in yo eyes and tell you, "Don’t you even think about it"
So as you hear me dropping this rhyme
Know my opportunity could've been stopped at a dime
The life you choose come from lack of options sometimes
Gotta do what you gotta do, even opting to crime
And who am I? Without name-dropping it, I'm
Someone who saw the top and didn't stop, he just climbed
Someone who get money without dropping a dime
And transform to your leader in my optimus prime
So, for dinner, we stopping at Prime
Round of chill Patron, top of the lime
Hold ‘em up, look at your niggas and say
There was no way out, but we figured a way
And now we chill, loaded up a steel
We just wish a nigga would, but we know a nigga will
But for real, good is how you feel
But soon as a nigga good is as soon as a nigga will
And we don’t owe these niggas nothing
Put that in a nigga will, yeah

Fabolous

John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. His first music appearance was with his 2001 release Ghetto Fabolous. He is also known for his hit singles “Can’t Deny It”, “Young'n (Holla Back)”, “Breathe”, “Make Me Better”, “My Time” and “Throw It in the Bag”.

Here he talks about some of his recurrent themes.

On his growth as an artist and a man