[Chorus]
This kind of living took different devotion
No quick fix from deficient and broken
Never hung our head defeated
To get everything we needed we was praying wishing and hoping
To get everything we needed we was praying wishing and hoping

[Verse]
I ain't make this environment, just painting the pictures
If you ain't spreading love, you're painting with sickness
With stern face, learned grace, replaced hate with indifference
I do art like a prophet, I make it with interest
Mutual lovemaking, no raping the sisters
Out my mug pour my heart, every statement is riches
Vicious heathen, pissed believing I'm reading straight from the scriptures
I do the gritty witty, all for the sake of the witless
Lo and behold, from days back erratic, now showing control
When you start with no chips, never know when to fold
Help sore times fell short, just throw on my gold
All ready rhythm in my blues and now showing the soul
They sold theirs, in high hallways got cold stares
When partners died, as hard as I tried couldn't hold tears
But never hung our head defeated
To get everything we needed we was praying wishing and hoping
No acts of acquiescence, all we got was resistance
From where corners stirred always heard shots in the distance
Made mad noise, was bad boys before watching the Pistons
They sell it to their pops if it's stoppin' evictions
Had to bleed to succeed, took a lot of tries
It's deplorable in Gomorrah, some got sodomized
Wanna become me, only talk money when it qualifies
Lost G's even after all the crossed T's and dotted I's
Passion once I'm passive, never stomp on a victim
On God, I starve before chomping a chitlin
Every son of my aunt did a romp in the system
Won't be parleys with knowledge, get accomplice in wisdom
[Chorus]
This kind of living took different devotion
No quick fix from deficient and broken
Never hung our head defeated
To get everything we needed we was praying wishing and hoping
To get everything we needed we was praying wishing and hoping