I don't think y'all really understand
How much this shit means to me but y'all just
I'm back home and y'all just sat through
My whole fuckin' entire album and shit
That's fuckin' crazy, thank y'all for doing that shit, man
I've been plannin' this night for a long time
So this shit is crazy to see and like
Turning to reality and shit
I appreciate y'all for sittin' through this shit
I wanna tell y'all some shit about this album
So when you leave here tonight
I know people were, people been telling me
Niggas been playin' the album like crazy and I appreciate it
But when we leave here tonight
I want y'all to know what this album meant to me
So when you're driving home, and you're playing it this week, next week
Next year, whenever, you gon' always remember what this shit was about
What I had to go out into the world and learn, on my own
I've come in here to tell you all tonight
This is what this album is about
And I'm takin' this message across the fuckin' world, I don't care
Here we go
When we young and even when we old
The world is constantly, constantly pumping us with images
And messages about what life is about, right?
And what we need to make this happen
.In the United States we call it the American Dream, right
But what does it always include?
A lot of fucking money, a big-ass house, a brand new car
A wife that's not even genetically fucking possible to have and shit
And bitches, bad bitches too
They tell us we need all that to be happy, right
So what ends up happening?
The world is set up so that ninety-nine per cent of us can't live like that
But what do we do? We idolise the people that do live like that, right
We call them celebrities, we follow their lives
We go, "Aw man, looks so perfect, I wanna be living like them"
And I'm comin' here tonight to tell y'all I'm the same dude
That was on the other side of the fence, right here in this city
Right down the fucking street working at the fucking skating rink
Daydreaming
Well y'all niggas love the skating rink
Daydreaming about this shit like, man, I wanna live like that
I wanna have that, right
And then I went and got the shit
But I'm tellin' y'all this, I'm not saying that it's done
I'm sayin' that to say this
When I got over there, on that side of the fence
And I started to look closer, I'm tellin' y'all
That's not fuckin' J. Cole, I'm tellin' y'all, that's Jermaine
As I really started to take a closer look at all that shit we want
And all of that shit we need that makes us happy
I started to see with my own eyes like, wait a minute
That shit don't feel right, that shit feel weird
And I started to notice that all of that shit that they try to tell us
It's all bullshit and it's all wrong
And that's not what we need to make us happy
I had to go figure that shit out, right, on my own
And how do I know that, how do I know that?
This is how I know that
It's a man right now in the world, he got millions of dollars
He got a billion fuckin' dollars, right
He got everything that we think we need to be happy
He got it, he got the money, he got the cars
He got the big-ass crib, three our four of them bitches
He got the genetically impossible wife and he got bitches
But yeah, this dude is fucking miserable, right
He's empty inside, he's miserable
But you got a family that come from where we come from
From this city right here, worst conditions in the world
We come from, they couldn't afford a ticket to this show tonight
Because they fuckin' wanted one, right
But yeah somehow they got more happiness and joy in their lives right now
Than this man will ever fucking have in his life
How is that possible?
How is that even possible?
He got everything they told us we need to be happy
And he's miserable and they ain't got shit but they happy
What do they got, that he don't got? (Love)
What's that? (Love)
That's that fuckin' Kamala county public education system right there
Coming into play, goddamnit
I need everybody to put your cellphones in the sky one time tonight
Fayetteville we gonna light this shit up one time
Ay yo, niggas dreamin' 'bout this shit
Love yourz
Love yourz
No such thing
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing, no such thing
Heart beatin' fast, let a nigga know that he alive
Fake niggas mad, snakes
Snakes in the grass let a nigga know that he arrive
Don't be sleepin' on you lover 'cause it's beauty in the struggle nigga
They go for all y'all
It's beauty in the struggle, nigga, let me explain
It's beauty in the struggle, ugliness in the success
Hear my words or listen to my signal of distress
I grew up in the city and though sometimes we had less
Compared to some of my niggas down the block, man we was blessed
And life can't be no fairytale, no once upon a time
I'll be God damned if a nigga don't be tryin'
So tell me mama please why you be drinking all the time?
Does all the pain he brought you still linger in your mind? Shit
'Cause pain still lingers on mine
On the road to riches, listen this is what you'll find
The good news is nigga you came a long way
The bad news is nigga you went the wrong way
You think being broke is better
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing, no such thing
'Cause what's money without happiness?
Or hard times without the people you love
Though I'm not sure what's 'bout to happen next
I asked for strength from the Lord up above
'Cause I've been strong so far
But I can feel my grip loosening
Quick, do something before you lose it for good
Get it back and use it for good
And touch the people how you did like before
I'm tired of living with demons 'cause they always inviting more
Think being broke was better?
Now I don't mean that phrase with no disrespect
To all my niggas out there living in debt
Cashing minimal checks
Turn on the TV, see a nigga Rolex
And fantasize about a life with no stress
I mean this shit sincerely
And that's a nigga who was once in your shoes
Living with nothin' to lose
I hope one day you hear me
Always gon' be a bigger house somewhere, but nigga feel me
'Long as the people in that motherfucker love you dearly
Always gon' be a whip that's better than the the one you got
Always gon' be some clothes that's fresher than the ones you rock
Always gon' be a bitch that's badder out there on the tours
But you ain't never gon' be happy 'til you love yours
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
(Love yourz)
No such thing as a life that's better than yours
No such thing as a life that's better than yours (love yourz)
No such thing, no such thing
Heart beatin' fast, let a nigga know that he alive
Fake niggas mad, snakes
Snakes in the grass let a nigga know that he arrive
2-6 Fayetteville, Fayetteville now I'ma fuckin' love y'all
My name is J. Cole, Cole world
It's been some legendary shit man
Until the next time, goddamnit
Peace and love