Pictures On My Wall

[Intro: Sample] I can’t breathe in this space that’s filled with your sound Can’t call a spade, a spade in this town Dug a hole that I can’t get out I can’t figure, I can’t figure it out, out, out (Verse 1: XV) It was a pin up, the magazines would print up That made me pick that pen up, that kept a niggas chin up That turned losers to winner, in that minute we would give up Couldn’t die down the expectations they thought we’d live up It was everything most parents hated Niggas with dreams, wearin' bling Screamin' that they made it New York rapper said ‘son’, West Coast niggas said ‘cuz’ Mid-West dude said ‘fam’, Damn no wonder I related Related to my grandmother that bought me comics To be honest, it ain’t bother her as much as momma Drama expected, like the nomination of Obama Kept me in my room, hiding out like Osama, Step father didn’t dig it They were shovelin' dreams To an underage teen whose real father couldn’t visit So I put on those headphones and just listened As the murals on my wall turned to kingdom from a prison I hear them singing (Chorus) Keep your head up high Keep mine deep in the ground Hide away the love that I found It’s a world that I can’t get out I can’t figure it, I can’t figure it out Hangin' pictures on my wall Always on my mind (Hanging Pictures on my wall) I can’t figure it out (Hanging Pictures on my wall) Always on my mind (Hanging Pictures on my wall) I can’t figure it out (Hanging Pictures on my wall) (Verse 2: XV) I know it’s crazy to think my pictures talked And we created a rocket, I got in and lifted off Well maybe the latter was kind of gone And the former was kind of wrong So all I have is these songs and posters up on my wall Sometimes I took them to school to feel cool Couldn’t bring the CD, the case was a jewel And I refused to burn money, I’m saving green in my room You walk in and think it was FernGully And beef wasn’t allowed, Pac was next to Biggie, and Dre was next Eazy The idea was profound I turned the music loud and put on my own recital In a room full of my idols, made me less suicidal Traded pencil sharpening for urban marketing Lawyer, doctor, went from street scholaring White collar from Police collarin’, mom and pops hollarin’ But I just tune it out, the tune is loud as I begin and says (Chorus) (Verse 3: XV) Knocks on my door came from the same fist that just knocked me to the floor Punched me in the chest and then clocked me in the jaw What's wrong with Dad I haven’t done a thing in school that was this bad His ass doesn’t care, trying to fight back but it doesn’t fair Why my mom let this nigga come in here She begins to come to tears I’m screamin' it’s all your fault He says what’s this bullshit up on your wall As I look up at the ceiling, too weak to respond With these poses of mere mortals that singing like gods Trying to stand up to my feet and just even the odds But he just knocks me back down and screams at my mom He starts seein' a bond between me and these pictures He says, look at these niggas, what are they, father figures? Now it’s hard to ignore that all I live for is now balled up on the floor And its (Outro) Always on my mind (Hanging Pictures on my wall) I can’t figure it out (Hanging Pictures on my wall) Always on my mind (Hanging Pictures on my wall) I can’t figure it out (Hanging Pictures on my wall) I can’t breathe in this space that’s filled with your sound Can’t call a spade, a spade in this town Dug a hole that I can’t get out I can’t figure, I can’t figure this out, out, out