All We Ever Know

They wanna see me down,
 but I be comin up
 They don't want me around,
 but I lay in the cut
 This is how the hood be movin,
 there's no solution
 It's so hard but it's all we ever know
 Feel this pulse of the hood,
 that ear to the street
 Like the boys on feet,
 them wolves never sleep
 Just lurk in the shadows,
 mingle in your blind sight
 Is it meant to be tested?
 Better get your mind right
 These are the breaks and,
 this is what it takes and
 Laid up in the coffin there is all your mistakes
 look Is this what you want though,
 or beggin for a change as to what we all can afford,
 and what's out of your range?
 They massacred your folks then
 - pray for revenge
 Your last thought is a target, the beef never ends (never ends)
 These foul niggaz laughin,
 your baby momma's cashin
 who hated your ass with a passion
 Hangin on your last breath gaspin,
 your people in tears
 who always told ya you was trouble for years
 Find you at death's doors fightin,
 with tubes all in you
 Heard they raidin your spots -
 who's gon' miss you?
 It's grimey as it ever been, slugs in the veteran
 The block savor the day he took his own medicine
 Now it's all over,
 the next leader got the seat
 But don't bury him yet,
 we still got a heartbeat
 The mind over matter,
 stuff made of legends
 A spirit that caters to the physical presence
 He gotta dig down deep,
 that's where it begin
 You got far too much pride to let your enemies win
 See life flash before you,
 your face in the sink
 Look up inside the mirror,
 before you can blink
 Feel you have no choices, beaten battered and scarred
 Can only muster up enough strength
 to find God
 As solid as the anchor,
 how can I thank ya when it took every bit of prayer to save this gangster?
 On my knees in the chapel,
 forgive me father
 The endless rounds of shots,
 the people screamin in horror
 What add up to a dollar,
 don't make sense no more
 What people live to posess,
 in the spoils of war
 become obsolete,
 that's if you weather the storm
 It's so beautiful,
 the feelin like a hustler reborn
 with no drama
 Need you right here for the kids
 with every honor
 The streets know it is what it is,
 another chapter
 Through all that pain you stood the best remedy is let 'em see you still live good
 They wanna see me down,
 but I be comin up
 They don't want me around,
 but I lay in the cut
 This is how the hood be movin,
 there's no solution
 It's so hard but it's all we ever know
 They wanna see me down,
 but I be comin up
 They don't want me around,
 but I lay in the cut
 This is how the hood be movin,
 there's no solution
 It's so hard but it's all we ever know
 Listen man,
 we don't wanna talk to none of y'all
 You left your man out here for dead and all that (real talk)
 This New York City man
 (uh-huh) y'know where the rats is bigger than the cats
 (stop snitchin!) We servin notice you hear me?
 (Talk to 'em) We not playin wit'chu meatballs (emphatically)
 This is Black Heart,
 the movement (c'mon)
 We only play for keeps here,
 and this is all we ever know
 They wanna see me down,
 but I be comin up
 They don't want me around,
 but I lay in the cut
 This is how the hood be movin,
 there's no solution
 It's so hard but it's all we ever know
 They wanna see me down,
 but I be comin up
 They don't want me around,
 but I lay in the cut
 This is how the hood be movin,
 there's no solution
 It's so hard but it's all we ever know