HandleLife Story
Welcome, everybody
Yeah
Detention after school 'cause I never followed rules
Was a good kid at home, so my mama was confused
I just wanted shoes, tryna keep up with the crew
How'd y'all get everything new? I'm from the same place as you
Decisions I would choose that could put me in the news
Ever since a juv', I been tryna shake the boys in blue
I had to handle life before I lеarned how to shoot
If my daddy ever knеw the trouble I'd get into, woo
I was just a youth, God, I gotta thank you
Instead of going to jail, they threw a bracelet on my ankle
And I loved to hoop but didn't have the coach to play for
Everybody knew I kept a handle on the string though
Waking up my neighbors pretending I'm in the Staples
A.I. was my favorite, but Kobe showed me what great is
I could really make it if I turn some better grades in
Friends I loved to hang with didn't help me bring no A's in
And I had to work way harder 'cause I'm Haitian
Couldn't stop my hesitation, droppin' thirty on probation
Coach Kevin from the Blazers helped me change my situation
I could've been one of them cases that ain't make it to graduation
(Yeah) Mama told me I'm worth it, uh
A lil' pain won't hurt you
I practiced 'til it's perfect
And that's why I deserve it
Yeah
Kicked outta school in the eighth, said I was a waste of talent
Hood kid in suburban school, was a major challenge
Gave 'em thirty, but late for class, that's a burpee
I stopped at 7-Eleven to purchase myself a Slurpee
Then ninth grade I'm on the varsity team
In the starting lineup, that's the start of the dream
Parents didn't like me as the star of the scene
Seem like they'd always dim me down when I would partially beam
So tenth grade I tried private school
Coach ain't really like me, and I ain't really rock with dude
I barely played a minute, no sweat in my follicles
Attitude was changing, temper slightly volatile
I'm on the move again now, school with my friends now
Bussin' to the slums though, boy, I'm with the get down
Back up in my habitat, this where all the action at
A scholarship to Weber State, then David Stern passed the hat
No cap
(Yeah) Mama told me I'm worth it, uh
A lil' pain won't hurt you
I practiced 'til it's perfect
And that's why I deserve it
Yeah
First semester as a freshman, I'm out the hood, what a blessing
You know I can't wait 'til that financial aid check hit
I'm going to the gym way before breakfast
No talking to my best friends, I'm working on excellence
Still ain't get no playing time 'cause they was puttin' Seth in
But Liberty was still winning like Davidson and Stephen
My handles was the best then, pull up and make the net bend
Coach said, "You'll never check in if you don't know the Os and Xs"
I gotta perfect this, flickin' up the left wrist
Goin' to the league the only goal that's on my check list
Buy Mama a Lexus, matching pearl necklace
Either that or it's back to the block playin' Tetris
When I hurt the knee, I was still chasin' the dream
Crossover too mean to be a regular breed
Instead of makin' the squad, I end up coaching the team, yeah
Business started boomin', I'm on the phone with Cuban
Training out in Dallas, handle life for the Mavericks
Coach still nasty, I was scrimmagin' at practice
Anything can happen from the couch to the mattress
More to the story, I'm just finishing the chap'
(Yeah) Mama told me I'm worth it, uh
A lil' pain won't hurt you
I practiced 'til it's perfect
And that's why I deserve it, yeah