Heart of the Block

Yeah... From the concrete... Blrrrd. Just watch how we livin'.

Another Tuesday night, paramedics on the block (Damn) Seen my cousin laid out, left him bleedin' by the shop (Blrrrd) No witness, no snitchin', ain't no talkin' to the cops Just another statistic, another life that got chopped Momma cryin' on the porch, daddy locked up in the box (Free him) Little sister hungry, wonderin' if the money stops (She hungry) We just tryna feed the fam, gotta flip whatever we got Empty fridge, empty cupboard, that's why we stay on the clock.

They judge us by the surface, never lookin' at the soul! We born into this chaos, watchin' futures lose control! The pavement is our classroom, hard lessons take their toll! For every sunrise seen, there's a story left untold! They talkin' 'bout our choices, but they ain't walk a single mile! With hunger in your stomach, man, you lose your peaceful smile! This ain't no fairy tale, this is livin' in denial! Just tryin' to make a mark, before we're buried in a pile!

This is the heart of the block, where the pain is real! Every corner got a story, every bullet got a seal! We just prayin' for a way, for a chance to finally heal! But the streets they keep on callin', gotta show them how we feel! I got angels on my shoulder and a hunger in my gut! Got a prayer on my breath and the truth is abrupt! Yeah, the heart of the block, where they never give it up 'Cause survival is a choice, when your cup runneth up!

Yeah, new kicks, fresh gear, but the fear is still there (Always) Every siren, every flash, make you stop and just stare (Look) Got the trap buzzin' busy, phones ringin' in the night Movin' through the shadows, gotta stay out of the light (Stay low) Seen a ten-year-old wit' a thirty in his hand Lookin' at the older heads, tryna be a bigger man He don't know the consequences, he just see the quick buck Another life gettin' wasted, just for a damn pickup.

They buildin' up the prisons, but they closin' all the schools! Expectin' us to prosper, followin' all their cruel rules! We find our own professors, learnin' from the older fools! The streets they teach you loyalty, betrayal, and the tools! I can feel it in my spirit, a generation torn apart! With talent in their fingertips, but trauma in their heart! They wanna see us fail, playin' a predetermined part! But we gon' write our own ending, from the very, very start!

This is the heart of the block, where the pain is real! Every corner got a story, every bullet got a seal! We just prayin' for a way, for a chance to finally heal! But the streets they keep on callin', gotta show them how we feel! I got angels on my shoulder and a hunger in my gut! Got a prayer on my breath and the truth is abrupt! Yeah, the heart of the block, where they never give it up 'Cause survival is a choice, when your cup runneth up!

"They tell you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps... but what if you ain't got no boots? What if you ain't even got feet?"

"Then you crawl. Blrrrd. You crawl and you scratch till you get some feet."

Heart of the block... Yeah... forever.