You are now listening to The Growth (haha)

Let me talk to them...

[Verse 1]

See I was always looking for an out

Knew what I ain't want to be about

Ain't want to fall victim to the crowd

'Street Dreams' like Fab, but not dreams like that

Cuz even his is better than the dreams I've had

They say you are where you're from, maybe to some

But I won't let a nigga label me slum and make me succumb

If I'm a grown ass man with no job, no money, that would make me a bum

It's not o.k. with me none

It's what they called me, I hated that y'all

Wasn't a 'College Dropout,' least Kanye made it that far

Tenth grade parted ways, like later for that y'all

I was bored with it, wasn't no paper in that, naw

So I pulled a few capers, that came to a stop

When I realized that ain't no bigger gang than the cops

Pray tell, I could rebel and blast a shot

Cuz jail's a revolving door, but the casket's not (ya herd)

[Hook: Musiq Soulchild]

Cuz everyday, of my life (yea)

I've tried so hard to get right (talk to them)

But nothing seems to matter when you

Got so much coming at you (oh)

In this world they say, just be strong

But it ain't easy when you hurt so long

And it's a shame

Nothing's changed no matter how far you go

In this cold cold world...

[Verse 2]

O.k., now we got little brothers that wanna deal on the strip (cold, cold world)

Or we got little sisters that feel they gotta strip

Swinging on the pole have us feening over tits

And a lot of us horny niggas, we ain't even gonna tip

BUT! Nothings wrong with it at all, I respect it

But we always take something short term and try to stretch it

Bread's gonna G a lot of niggas when they learn that fast

Money comes fast and it leaves a lot quicker

Nigga, we in a place that's to every extreme

In a place where niggas die over the pettiest things

And it seems to been deterrent shit

But we don't carry guns to kill now, niggas carry burners to live

So, God it's me a-gain, our father who art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name, pray them hollows never hit my frame

Everyday I'm around it

Everyday I'm surrounded

Everyday I try to say grounded in this cold, cold world

[Hook]

[Verse 3]

We living in a place where niggas tooling each other

Where the President and terrorists are cool with each other

Sending millions in the war make us duel with each other

And hit Bin Laden on his cell like 'I got em making fools of each other'

Got us in a hole, pigeoned

Why I can't talk to niggas, that's just so indignant

People are so ignant

Till a wise man sat me down, like 'Joe listen'

You can't 'conversate' with a nigga with no diction

And I don't watch the news (nah)

I don't wanna hear about another kidnapping, another kid clapped in

Mom killing her seed, got another kid trapped

In the car, kid gasping like, *cough*

So you clowns can run around with your pounds and your war stories

But I ain't choose to be hood, shit was forced on me

It's not what I endorse homey

Cuz I know that's where they wanna keep us, stop us from being leaders (you know)

[Hook]