Chain Link

[Verse 1] I try to always buy final call from the F.O.I Even though that's not what Islam always signify Y'all gotta love the struggle in 'em They would get on their knees and shine shoes 'fore they ever let the drugs afflict 'em Makin taco's and fuckin with McDonald's Nickel and dime broke, but dignified with high hopes Some people shoulder the weight of the needy, make it look easy Even though they walkin the tight ropes Immigrants, twelve deep in one bedroom I'm too cool, I look at 'em like fools Those fools combine forces and put the resources And guess who the new owner of the corner store is Shit, what's stoppin me from doin that? I probably could, rich drug smugglers are proof of that Because if one dime sack in the time can climax Into a billion dollar industry, then look at my abilities But I'm a dreamer in a lot of ways I feel if you believe in God then you believe in brighter days Keep my son's heartbeat in my sleep I'mma walk the Planet Earth with his name carved deep in my feet like [Hook x2] Children growin, women producin Men go workin, but what's the use When the real strive hard and stress about the rent And can still die poor and in debt without a cent [Verse 2] Born again christian preachers from the suburbs Tryin to save souls on Broadway, they got some nerve Comin here unaware that the ones with no material gifts Sometimes are the most spiritually rich Laziness got me spare the stand back and what was that That can't hold me back, my man Vast told me that "Harlem got all that on a bigger scale" When there's bullets in the sandbox, it's every bit as real I see children growin up within a wicked system Smilin I wanna kiss 'em, I see prophet Muhammad in 'em Poverty stricken, people from my generation are Hands down the world's most creative I've seen both sides of the fence Picket a chain link and we ain't all thinkin the same thing but They teens got so impressed by me They try to walk, talk, interact and dress like me We captivated the world's imagination I used to idolize athletes and entertainers Cause they never let the situation capture 'em System gave 'em lemons, made lemonade and sold it back to 'em [Chrous x2] Children growin, women producin Men go workin, but what's the use When the real strive hard and stress about the rent And can still die poor and in debt without a cent [Verse 3] Marvin Gaye said it best "This ain't livin" No matter your religion the earth keep spinnin And the sun keep shinin, babies keep cryin Old folks dying, in between you put your time in And here I am, still lower class America Same room, same view, different cast of characters Regina got arrested as a late prowler Couldn't trick, got evicted, lost her section 8 voucher Onward goes my neighbourhood's revolving door A gang of rental properties nobody owns at all I guess that's why we call it a hood Nobody stays as long as it takes to become neighbour [Hook x2] Children growin, women producin Men go workin, but what's the use When the real strive hard and stress about the rent And can still die poor and in debt without a cent