[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
N***as 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' n***as 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 n***as
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 n***a, 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 n***a 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 n***as 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 n***a 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 n***a really had lost his life
My lil' n***as 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