It's hard to breathe and hard to run when ya lungs blacken
Coughing up blood, like, what the fuck happened?
Raising my risk of cancer's the answer homie
But after drinking something, it's nothing, like puffing a bogey
Now I could blame the same product placement in movies, all the commericals of Scarface in a jacuzi
But now I'm living it
Damn, I should have never took that first cigarette
I fucked up like your girl was riding on top of me
I shoulda took it to trial, I never got to plea
But this ain't a Christian nation, motherfucker please
America never taught me to turn the other cheek
Cos I'm from Harlem, the north of Manhattan
We knock niggas out and make them bounce like Ricky Hatton
But wilding on the corner got me turned back from the Canadian border
I knew she was a virgin, when I first met her
Rocking stockings popping out of the Catholic school sweater
Mom told her she could do better than a criminal
17 year old pyschotic trying to be lyrical
I never meant to break her heart or fuck up her life
But I was careless, instead of treating her right
I seen her again at some club stripping and wondered if I could have made her life different
I joined the army looking for money to go to college
But they ain't paid me a quarter of what they fucking promised
Extending my tour, treating me like a sucker
That's the reason officers get fragged, motherfucker
Don't give me speeches on how you respect and you love me
But no body armour and a lightly armoured humvee?
My family's lonely and you want me to re-enlist for 30 grand homie?
No
Yeaah, when I was young, I got signed to a record label
The deal looked so good when it was on the table
They paid for my cable, cribs, cars and jewellery
The studios, the women, there's nothing they wouldn't do for me
Except stop screwing me and publishing my royalties
How the fuck are you dog when there's no loyalty?
Word to the street, I should have gone independent like Immortal Technique
Some people learn from mistakes and don't repeat them
Others try to block the memories and just delete them
But I keep them as a reminder, they're not killing me
And I thank god for teaching me humility
Son, remember, when you fight to be free
See things how they are and not how you'd like them to be
Cos even when the world has fallen on top of me
Pessimism is an emotion, not a philosophy
Knowing what's wrong doesn't imply that you're right
And it's another one you suffered to apply in life
And I'm no rookie
And I'm never gonna make the same mistake twice, pussy