Released: November 12, 2010
Songwriter: J. Cole
Producer: Syience
[Produced By Syience]
[Intro]
Hey, I got a dollar and a dream
It's all a nigga got so it's about that green
And I'm all up in that spot, hey
[Verse 1]
Yeah, the mental state of a young black genius conflicted
The fast life I done seen on the screen is addictive
Money and clothes I done dreamed about
And all the hoes that I fiend about
Ay, tell me am I wrong for visualizing material shit I never had?
Waving gats instead of flags, the American Dream
Why do we cling to the villains, knowing they kill 'em?
My niggas high enough to swing from the ceiling
Ink from the pen spilling on my notebook
Filled with dreams, this is my hope book
Still the screams from little girls shot and killed fill my head on the daily
At times I question God, can you blame me? They can’t tame me
My voice screech through the streets, I'm a beast on 'em
Oh no, he will not fold, you will not see a crease on him
He will not slip or lose his grip, they got them cleats on him
But never will he run unless you call police on him
[Hook]
One time, two times, three times
Sometimes I scrap, sometimes I'm throwin' up the peace sign
It's two sides to a nigga though
I said it's two sides to a nigga, yo
Ay look, sometimes I'm feeling high then I'm feeling low
Lord, will I die? Will I survive? Let a nigga know
You say you know me but what side did you get to know?
It's two sides to a nigga, yo, yo, yo
[Verse 2]
Yeah, some pussy niggas pulled out on me and my mans
Wasn’t for the pistol, we drop 'em right where he stands
But still we never ran, foolish pride made us stand right there
Not understanding we could lose our life there
And then it hit us, thinking 'bout the close calls from long distance
Uh, as lil niggas in the 'Ville, we was trippin
Type of nosy ass niggas to watch the fight until it's over
They ran when the gats came out, I moved closer
Foolish, what was I thinking? wasn’t trying to be cool, it's
Just the thrill of the danger, get so filled up with anger
When a stranger get to violating
He sleeping on me wide awake, bitch I'll annihilate him
I'm tired of waiting on my ticket out this muh'fucker
Hope they don’t kill me before I get up out this muh'fucker
I gotta go, now can I be that nigga I thought I was? I gotta know
Will I make it like I thought I would? I gotta blow
[Hook]
One time, two times, three times
Sometimes I scrap, sometimes I'm throwin' up the peace sign
It's two sides to a nigga though
I said it's two sides to a nigga, yo
Ay look, sometimes I'm feeling high then I'm feeling low
Lord, will I die? Will I survive? Let a nigga know
You say you know me but what side did you get to know?
It's two sides to a nigga, yo, yo, yo
[Verse 3]
Yeah, I seen Heaven, seen Hell, the two faces of the Ville
One side dreams, the other side's real
One side schemes, the other side deals
What the pain brings, another mother cry still
Why the fuck am I here, God?
That nigga died, why the fuck am I still alive?
I feel ashamed cause the good Lord done brought all this success to me
And all I seem to focus on is all this stress on me
Blessed homie, we breathin', cold world got me sneezing
Wrote this when I was broke, so hey, I guess we even
Throwin' blows, fighting demons, tryna stop from bustin' semen
In an unfamiliar bitch, I know my niggas feel this shit
How could I fuck her raw? And I just met the ho
My dick took over, it ain't never felt this wet before
I'm stressing in my mind but its way to late to stop it
Make this shit so bad, I had a condom in my pocket
Lets change the topic, before I go berserk, I’m so alert
Riding down 95, nah, I ain't finna to go to work
I’m headed back home, ain't staying that long
I’m chasing dreams shawty, I'm paying back loans
I’m paying dues that a nigga paying tax on
I'm tryna blow like a nigga playing saxophone
I'm playing daddy to another nigga daughter
Don’t worry, even Jesus never saw his real father
It don’t bother me at all though
Yeah, say it don’t bother me at all
They got me thinking 'bout my mom though
Man, I can't wait to sing this song
I'll be like, I'll be like
[Outro]
Hey, don’t cry, hey, oh no
Cause we ain't gotta worry 'bout the money no more
We ain't gotta worry 'bout how the bills get paid
We ain't gotta worry how the meals get fed
Don’t cry, hey, oh no
Cause we ain't gotta worry 'bout the money no more
We ain't gotta worry 'bout how them bill get paid
We ain't gotta worry how the meals get fed
Hey, hey, hey
[Intro]
Hey, I got a dollar and a dream
It's all a nigga got so it's about that green
And I'm all up in that spot, hey
[Verse 1]
Yeah, the mental state of a young black genius conflicted
The fast life I done seen on the screen is addictive
Money and clothes I done dreamed about
And all the hoes that I fiend about
Ay, tell me am I wrong for visualizing material shit I never had?
Waving gats instead of flags, the American Dream
Why do we cling to the villains, knowing they kill 'em?
My niggas high enough to swing from the ceiling
Ink from the pen spilling on my notebook
Filled with dreams, this is my hope book
Still the screams from little girls shot and killed fill my head on the daily
At times I question God, can you blame me? They can’t tame me
My voice screech through the streets, I'm a beast on 'em
Oh no, he will not fold, you will not see a crease on him
He will not slip or lose his grip, they got them cleats on him
But never will he run unless you call police on him
[Hook]
One time, two times, three times
Sometimes I scrap, sometimes I'm throwin' up the peace sign
It's two sides to a nigga though
I said it's two sides to a nigga, yo
Ay look, sometimes I'm feeling high then I'm feeling low
Lord, will I die? Will I survive? Let a nigga know
You say you know me but what side did you get to know?
It's two sides to a nigga, yo, yo, yo
[Verse 2]
Yeah, some pussy niggas pulled out on me and my mans
Wasn’t for the pistol, we drop 'em right where he stands
But still we never ran, foolish pride made us stand right there
Not understanding we could lose our life there
And then it hit us, thinking 'bout the close calls from long distance
Uh, as lil niggas in the 'Ville, we was trippin
Type of nosy ass niggas to watch the fight until it's over
They ran when the gats came out, I moved closer
Foolish, what was I thinking? wasn’t trying to be cool, it's
Just the thrill of the danger, get so filled up with anger
When a stranger get to violating
He sleeping on me wide awake, bitch I'll annihilate him
I'm tired of waiting on my ticket out this muh'fucker
Hope they don’t kill me before I get up out this muh'fucker
I gotta go, now can I be that nigga I thought I was? I gotta know
Will I make it like I thought I would? I gotta blow
[Hook]
One time, two times, three times
Sometimes I scrap, sometimes I'm throwin' up the peace sign
It's two sides to a nigga though
I said it's two sides to a nigga, yo
Ay look, sometimes I'm feeling high then I'm feeling low
Lord, will I die? Will I survive? Let a nigga know
You say you know me but what side did you get to know?
It's two sides to a nigga, yo, yo, yo
[Verse 3]
Yeah, I seen Heaven, seen Hell, the two faces of the Ville
One side dreams, the other side's real
One side schemes, the other side deals
What the pain brings, another mother cry still
Why the fuck am I here, God?
That nigga died, why the fuck am I still alive?
I feel ashamed cause the good Lord done brought all this success to me
And all I seem to focus on is all this stress on me
Blessed homie, we breathin', cold world got me sneezing
Wrote this when I was broke, so hey, I guess we even
Throwin' blows, fighting demons, tryna stop from bustin' semen
In an unfamiliar bitch, I know my niggas feel this shit
How could I fuck her raw? And I just met the ho
My dick took over, it ain't never felt this wet before
I'm stressing in my mind but its way to late to stop it
Make this shit so bad, I had a condom in my pocket
Lets change the topic, before I go berserk, I’m so alert
Riding down 95, nah, I ain't finna to go to work
I’m headed back home, ain't staying that long
I’m chasing dreams shawty, I'm paying back loans
I’m paying dues that a nigga paying tax on
I'm tryna blow like a nigga playing saxophone
I'm playing daddy to another nigga daughter
Don’t worry, even Jesus never saw his real father
It don’t bother me at all though
Yeah, say it don’t bother me at all
They got me thinking 'bout my mom though
Man, I can't wait to sing this song
I'll be like, I'll be like
[Outro]
Hey, don’t cry, hey, oh no
Cause we ain't gotta worry 'bout the money no more
We ain't gotta worry 'bout how the bills get paid
We ain't gotta worry how the meals get fed
Don’t cry, hey, oh no
Cause we ain't gotta worry 'bout the money no more
We ain't gotta worry 'bout how them bill get paid
We ain't gotta worry how the meals get fed
Hey, hey, hey