[Intro]
Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo
Whoo, whoo, whoo
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Verse 1: Killer Mike]
Had a dream I was still sixteen
But still me when I seen myself (Myself)
I was so bull-headed down the road I was headed
Had to slow down and walk with myself
Had to talk to myself, argue and fought myself
Yeah, I had told myself
The road never stroll down there
And I told me, shit, I'ma keep it G
You lookin' aight, Big Mike
Big money, big car, big house, big booty wife
Shit, n***a, that's your life
That's your car, your house, your wife
I'm just sayin' you can have that
Without the strife of the life that a n***a endured
You ain't gotta drop outta college
And watch your grand mama ask the law, "Lord, why did he do it?"
You ain't gotta make love to the girl
You don't really love, y'all have a baby and go through it
What's really so bad? The game that I'm givin' is golden
'Cause it was gotten straight from dad
"Did you listen to him, Mike?" Wish I had
It's my life, it ain't that bad (Yeah)
Keep this conversation locked in your head
Put you first, stack your bread
[Chorus: Big K.R.I.T.]
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to take care of mine and mine and mine and mine alone
And the folk that need me to be strong
I got to hold my own, I got to right my wrongs
I got to let God steer
I got to take myself, I got to help myself to live
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to hold my own, I got to right my wrongs
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to hold my own, I got to right my wrongs
Protect myself

[Verse 2: Bun B]
Now who woulda thought that a n***a
Woulda made it to a penthouse (Made it to a penthouse)
Man, I been thinkin' 'bout when Pimp came home
Went straight to the Bent Lot (Straight to the Bent lot)
Now that's a long way
From a pot on the stove with the gram (Gram)
But when I was comin' up all I had
In the pot was some Ramen noodles and Spam
And I was like damn and this is some bullshit
I don't want to live like this
I just want a chain that rains and nice wrists
Why the hell can't I have me some nice shit?
But instead of complainin' I started aimin' higher
My passion matched my desire, now I just spit out that fire
And never get tired, you can put that on a choir
Yeah, man, I got me suppliers
And made some mistakes but guess what?
That shit don't define me (Define me)
That's why you find me grindin'
From the 90s until I'm in my nineties (Nineties)
Shinin, no need to rewind me
Said it before and they scared to repeat it
I came to give the people game they needed
Until my life is depleted (Life is depleted)
Your life is a bitch and it's best to be mindful
Of how you gon' treat it (How you gon' treat it)
'Cause if you catch a case with the Devil, my n***a
I'm down for your beatin' (I'm down for your beatin')
Can't get away from the choices you make
And the way you behavin' (The way you behavin')
So don't be surprised when the throne that you sit in
Is startin' to cave-in
[Chorus: Big K.R.I.T.]
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to take care of mine and mine and mine and mine alone
And the folk that need me to be strong
I got to hold my own, I got to write my wrongs
I got to let God steer
I got to take myself, I got to help myself to live
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to hold my own, I got to write my wrongs
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to hold my own, I got to write my wrongs
Protect myself

[Verse 3: El-P]
Hey, I got a foot trapped in quicksand (Ay)
I got my hand stuck in blender (Ay)
Walk with a heart that been bruised up
Still got a couple of beats left in
What a surprise, I'm not dead yet
Got a couple of friends that can't claim that
They throwin' the bones that got 1-1
Eyes of the State, no fun fun
Woke up in the dawn, alone, the mood hung there, yawnin'
I don't see calm that often
Lit the stick in her hair with no coughed
I'm walkin' the Earth again, better get poppin'
Check the old gold watch, I ride often
It don't mean much, but it's mine, I copped it
Have it on my wrist 'til my heart starts stoppin'
Good to remind, then I'm lyin' inside coffins
I don't advise, who am I to act wise?
Nine out of ten times the swine had arised, so I lie
It ain't a-okay
Eh, you get nine bucks they want eight?
Tryna chase you and parade around Mace
Try to remind myself they will pay
You don't got shit, take a bit of mind games
Stick around maybe bring your pain to these lames
[Chorus: Big K.R.I.T.]
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to take care of mine and mine and mine and mine alone
And the folk that need me to be strong
I got to hold my own, I got to write my wrongs
I got to let God steer
I got to take myself, I got to help myself to live
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to hold my own, I got to write my wrongs
I got to make these moves, I got to pay my dues
I got to hold my own, I got to write my wrongs
Protect myself