Producer: Kanye West
[Chorus 2x - Big V]
These walls are closin' in
How long am I supposed to grin?
I've lost my will to win
Forgive my sin
[Scales]
As darkness approaches, and I'm fumblin' through the blunt roaches
Its lookin' hopeless, totally unfocused, stumblin' onto the front porch
Posted with my closest associates, we were so broke
Though a couple of us had sold dope, still humble enough to be po' folk
We comin' up to be grown folk, ain't dumb enough to be slow poke
Know the hours of death they grow close, so we give our lives to the utmost
Plus, here's a extra point, visualize the goal post
No, we not eatin' duck roast, but we live our lives to the utmost
Cause those pressure points are the corners that we cut close
Turn most civilized yeagas to cutthroats
And it's these men they send upstate by the truckloads
And herd 'em in to the Pen' like buffalos, I'm sayin'
[Chorus]
[Big V]
The game was sold, not told to me
Heartache won't let go of me
Games say that I'll live and lie
But I'll try
[Big V]
Every which-a-way tell you the angles I done tossed and turned
And hit and missed, pissed cause of that didn't amount to this
Gettin' it ain't got a damn thing to do with keepin' shit
Workin' damn hard to get it, plans of not partin' with it
Life got a way of showin' you shit you can't bear to see
Tough keepin' float, settin' sail through a sea of Gs
Somethin' should happen on this night I lay me down to sleep
Wasn't happy with my friend, pray the lord my soul to keep
[Chorus]
[Scales]
I'm 'bout 3000 miles from Graceland, 'bout a county from Macon
But you would think I'm arm reach from Satan
I got a strange way of tellin' the truth
Most felons do stuff between hearin' your story and tellin' it too
Stuck between numb and feelin' it
I'm right between calm and militant, on the search for deliverance
I'm three days from beatin' my case at the arraignment
This shit's basic, get to jail, get the statement
[R. Prophet]
Born with the heart of a soldier
Right now I'm stuck behind bars but daddy told ya
I chose to march with Martin carryin' posters
They lock me down, but they usually hang us folks up
It's so tough, white man tryin' to control us
And mold us, assimilate our cultures, they doped us
Hell naw, I'm stayin' focused, I won't corrupt with evil
I'm forever fightin' for my people, for equal
(Fight for your rights)
[Chorus]
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some very sad news for all of you
Could you lower those signs please?
Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight.."
These walls are closin' in
How long am I supposed to grin?
I've lost my will to win
Forgive my sin
[Scales]
As darkness approaches, and I'm fumblin' through the blunt roaches
Its lookin' hopeless, totally unfocused, stumblin' onto the front porch
Posted with my closest associates, we were so broke
Though a couple of us had sold dope, still humble enough to be po' folk
We comin' up to be grown folk, ain't dumb enough to be slow poke
Know the hours of death they grow close, so we give our lives to the utmost
Plus, here's a extra point, visualize the goal post
No, we not eatin' duck roast, but we live our lives to the utmost
Cause those pressure points are the corners that we cut close
Turn most civilized yeagas to cutthroats
And it's these men they send upstate by the truckloads
And herd 'em in to the Pen' like buffalos, I'm sayin'
[Chorus]
[Big V]
The game was sold, not told to me
Heartache won't let go of me
Games say that I'll live and lie
But I'll try
[Big V]
Every which-a-way tell you the angles I done tossed and turned
And hit and missed, pissed cause of that didn't amount to this
Gettin' it ain't got a damn thing to do with keepin' shit
Workin' damn hard to get it, plans of not partin' with it
Life got a way of showin' you shit you can't bear to see
Tough keepin' float, settin' sail through a sea of Gs
Somethin' should happen on this night I lay me down to sleep
Wasn't happy with my friend, pray the lord my soul to keep
[Chorus]
[Scales]
I'm 'bout 3000 miles from Graceland, 'bout a county from Macon
But you would think I'm arm reach from Satan
I got a strange way of tellin' the truth
Most felons do stuff between hearin' your story and tellin' it too
Stuck between numb and feelin' it
I'm right between calm and militant, on the search for deliverance
I'm three days from beatin' my case at the arraignment
This shit's basic, get to jail, get the statement
[R. Prophet]
Born with the heart of a soldier
Right now I'm stuck behind bars but daddy told ya
I chose to march with Martin carryin' posters
They lock me down, but they usually hang us folks up
It's so tough, white man tryin' to control us
And mold us, assimilate our cultures, they doped us
Hell naw, I'm stayin' focused, I won't corrupt with evil
I'm forever fightin' for my people, for equal
(Fight for your rights)
[Chorus]
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some very sad news for all of you
Could you lower those signs please?
Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight.."