[Verse 1: Punch]
Yeah, uh, let’s go deep inside the mind of a project veteran
Raised with nothing on the block with his brethren
A fifth of hennessy, swisher filled up with medicine
Devilish grin, inhale deep, let the devil in
Compelling stories between him and his men
Feel like a rap cypher except way more liver
With intimate details, shades of a grey writer
Hit a plight of a ghetto survivor
Deuce five in his waist, impatiently waiting
Trying to get richer, priors hanging over his head
Serving as reminders
Ain’t nothing funny, his stomach turn
And his eyes burn, soul on ice
So far from Christ, he had to fight
Any disagreement, he take flight
No thinking twice, anything further and the slug’s ‘gon fly
Project mind, the choice, his life or mine
That’s a very thin line, tell momma I tried
Hood got ‘em sprinkling lines, Mary don’t get ‘em high
Something to justify the stress in his lifetime
Like why his lil mama cute face, nice thighs
Strip on the side and set n***as up for a time
Project bread, baby was three when her daddy died
Shot seventeen times and he almost survived
That’s where she hang her whole pride
That’s really where she tried to hide
All the pain deep inside, the project mind
[Verse 2: Jay Rock]
Started off flipping on a mattress, pissy
Slapboxin’ won’t sock him until he hit me
Streetlights come on, runnin’ through them hallways
Dope spots open, sherm heads all day
Crackheads speaking with they teeth missing
Pushin’ shopping carts with cans in them
Dope dealers keep pitching, and while she keep bitching
She at the county building, they cut off her GR
How she gonna feed the children?
He got a chip on his shoulder, keep a pistol let his clip show
Rob the dice game because he piss poor, all the homies know it’s him
Desperate time equals desperate measures
Walk away all you see is stretchers
N***as in the kitchen with the yay tryna stretch it
So we can buy Benzs and bag bad bitches
Cause growing up n***as never had riches
N***as will die trying to get that cash, kill ‘em

[Verse 3: Punch]
The project mind is hustle by design
Too many spots in the hood set up across state lines
Extend the brand, franchise expansion
Guerrilla marketing plan, ensure the hood’s advancement
Groomed in criminology, equivalent to a Ph.D
Doctorates degree at any Ivy League college
Skull and Bone fraternity, oh forsaken
We promise to gang ban eternally
Death before dishonor
[Verse 4: Jay Rock]
N***a respect for your honor, they fuck n***as, no condoms
My n***a got life for powder, pop shots it’s problems
Fuck your sign, n***a we rivals
Broke n***as is plotting cut-throat conniving
Smoke n***as for iron, prey on the weak
Predators lurking, you better not sleep n***a
All red bandanas, we deep n***a
Gorillas and the miss bananas be the clips
Concrete jungle come and take a trip, the wildlife
Wild days and wild nights
National Geographic images capture hazardous
High definition camera shit, if you flash better blast it quick
Or be labeled a bitch, n***as is gone, project shit
Better watch who you with the paperwork said he snitch
Plug tiles on that relationship

[Verse 5: Punch]
You could tell a project n***a by the scars on his neck and face
Clothesline caught him running from Jake
Runaway slave confined to a hundred and eighth
Central Compton Avenue to Imperial
My pops told me that the saga continues from
Milk and cereal to candle light visuals
Gangsters turn spiritual prayers never make it past the ceiling
Sherm sticks numbs the feelings of the killings, that’s the ritual
Visiting room at capacity, little homie in critical
He never got a visual on who shot him
Him and his men, same n***as
Who did is sitting, plotting they revenge in the hospital
Knowing it was him he proceeds to squeeze on the rifle
Says “spark the beef” rifle techs, hollow tips, vest
Concrete jungle tribal wars, survival of the 'jects
Ignorance is vexed, welcome to my consciousness
[Bridge: BJ The Chicago Kid]
Well, it’s the project mind
Well, it’s the project mind
Well, it’s the project mind
State of emergency

[Outro]
This was no-no place for me not to go
So guess this is the same mentality the Bloods and Crips have
As far as not being able to go on certain avenues because one is red and one is blue
So if they saw you up in here, you know you would stab me
This was one of the projects, that was the strongest out of all the projects
And it was called this right here, The Nickerson Gardens
This was a first for me
And actually if I had took my fear away
Could come...could come into the famous Nickerson Gardens
Now I still won’t come up here at night…