[Intro]

Yeah

Uh

[Verse]

Grew up on the block that was named after my cousin

He was gunned down as a youngin

So we banged the block and we blew at opps just to show him that we love him

Let 'em know somethin'

My OG said I'm too smart just to be up in the streets

Keep goin' and they gon' name the block after me

Well, I mean, who kinda

Can't even imagine to take me too far

Ain't start freshman year

They said I was too small

My brother had to serve, my other cousin crack cars

Niggas hate so you know it's poles all in the car, get pullеd over

Officer said, "Well, somеbody gotta take the charge"

My brother said if he sit down that I gotta- (Gotta s-)

Gotta sit down and focus on ball

Said, he down for like seven at least

So when he come home he need me to be a star

A lil' later [?] sentence, I caught a growth spurt

God givin' niggas tools to make sure it work

Now I ball for real, either the gym or the house

Jumped off the porch but went back when my brother went down

AAU teams, tournaments, newspapers, got some articles on me

They say I can be the one to make it happen

So I sent clippings to the pen for my brother to see

Look, he said he'll be home in no time

Just keep grindin', we gon' be straight, that's what he believe

Senior year, my homie blew out his knee

To be quite honest, man, he was better than me

I watched the scholarships deplete

He went from ten D1 offers to three

And even then, only one had the scholarship he need

With him down, all eyes on me to carry the team

Got some [?] calls from D2's who want me

I mean, a D1 answered still, but I needed more bread

They handin' out partials, rebuildin' they program

And I can barely 'ford tuition for semester

And my grades decent but not enough to raise check up

I sat down with my momma

Talked about how I'm the first to go to college and she'll do whatever, she gotta make sure I'm proper

And my father would be proud of things I accomplish

I ain't know him that well

Said, I was four when his car had got shot up

Season over, city champs, everything was great

Even got some more offers

Had to thank my AAU coach for helping me send out my tapes

Sent one to the head coach in Houston

He said he liked how I play

They made the [?] last year and they star guards just went to the NBA

I could come in and fill that role, he say

And it's close to May, it's decision day

Momma took out a second mortgage on the house

Just to pay for me to go down to U of H

On a partial scholarship, I announce in a couple days

[?] house, I mean literally

My coach say as long as I ball out that the school said they'd be down to pay

My brother said, "Put the pressure on these niggas

Boy, you been great

And they gon' parole me early"

Said, "I'll be home before your birthday"

June 18th, his parole date

Turned 18 July 5th, I'll be back from summer school, I got a break

Independence Weekend took a new meanin'

Ain't even wanna go out, just wanna see him

You know, hug my nigga, possibly feed him

Tell him that he gotta come out to the H

I been here six days after graduation date

My teammates cool, my dorm room straight

The girs thick as hell, too

But I ain't trippin', I got a job to do

They gave me access to the gym overnight

In there every night tryna get my shot right

Everything look good in the rotation

Said, I'm playin' and shorty helped me with my tests

So now I'm walkin' 'round and my grades look amazin'

My momma always call me

She always say that her and my brother watch me

Every game, let me know I'm doin' smooth

Even reassure me when we lose

But back home, man, things changin' too

Bro tried workin', hm, but no one gave him a job

So he Uber usin' my name and still be on the block

Ma picked up a third job, paid the mortage on time

Team lookin' good but we started fallin' off

Missed a tournament, made the comp, it's finals what we lost

Then April came, get a call from my mom

Up in practice playin' two-on-two, her voice sound unusual

Say I gotta come home for my brother funeral

Said they caught him in the car in front of his girl house

Same nigga that he was just telling his girl 'bout

Ran off on him and they caught him, blew his brains out

I cried there up on the court

So much that my eyes swole

Can't even cry when I came back to Chicago

Couple days, though, just to take care of my mom, though

Then I got a call 'bout a scandal that came up

'Bout some grades on the team, someone brought my name up

Damn, they found out this girl doin' my tests

Now they tryna just keep me off the team

And they say I can't play

The craziest thing about it that I got my full ride the other day

Now they won't even let me up in my case and I'm back in Chicago

Never thought I'd hate bein' at home

Really 'cause it ain't safe bein' at home

And everybody gon' ask questions, like, "Why don't you hoop no more?"

Dropped out, I was only in school for ball

At my mom house, outside with the pole in my draws

'Cause you know my cousin who crack cars and his homie from the back of the yards caught dude who killed my brother and put the gat in his jaw

It blew through his teeth, hit back of the wall

And now his niggas tryna even the score

Knowin' I could be next had me paranoid

I could barely even sleep anymore

One day ran to the cornerstore down the street

Just to grab some Crunchy Curls to eat for my niece

Some nigga in a black Charger started to creep up

Tinted up so I couldn't really even see who it was

But they rolled down the window as I walked to my Jeep

One masked up, as I can see

Pulled out the rifle, I think it was a AR

Let off a 30-Round, I ran around my car

One hit my arm and the other hit me in my heart

Took my last breath as I had to look up to God

I could feel my spirit fall in my brother arms

Holes in the car, blood on the ground

From the sky, see my momma cryin' to the coroner

On the corner, leavin' holes in her heart

T-shirt and vigils for the nights

Candlelights [?], flowers by the store where a nigga really had lost his life

My lil' niggas added my name to the block

One time I wish my momma wasn't right

Two sons and a husband all gone

She need drugs just to fall asleep now

She find trouble tryna sleep through the night

[Outro]

And remember, when in doubt, feed the street