Streets Don’t Forgive

[Verse 1] Mama said, “Move smart” So I learned quick Smile in the front Keep my fist in my wrist Heard who got loud Then got ghost in the mist Seen love turn thin Like a blade on a dish I wore my pain Like a name tag badge Held my own back When the whole room laughed I don’t need luck I know how to last Every step got weight And every choice got glass [Verse 2] I seen best friends fold For a little more shine Seen a clean suit man With a dirty-ass mind They talk big dreams Then they sell their spine I kept my head low Kept my pulse in time My little brother asked Why the world so cold I said, “Baby, it bites When your heart’s too bold” So I learned to read What they don’t say loud Keep one eye open And my chin stay proud [Chorus] Streets don’t forgive No, they don’t forgive I learned that lesson The hard way, quick Streets don’t forgive No, they don’t forgive But I still rise Yeah, I still live [Verse 3] I’ve got scars like maps On the inside lane Every scar told me Never play their game If they want my light They can keep that fame I’d rather walk broke Than wear their chain I sleep with one eye And a half-made plan Count every blessing With a steady hand My voice got cracks But it still don’t bend I don’t call it luck I call it defense [Verse 4] You can take my praise But you can’t take grit You can slam that door I’ll still find a slit I seen good girls change Just to fit that clip I kept my own face Kept my own lip They wanted me soft Wanted me too sweet Wanted me quiet With my soul on leash But I got fire In my busted knees And I move like truth When I cross that street [Chorus] Streets don’t forgive No, they don’t forgive I learned that lesson The hard way, quick Streets don’t forgive No, they don’t forgive But I still rise Yeah, I still live [Verse 5] Now I talk to fear Like, “Baby, sit down” I’ve been through the flood Still I wear my crown Not the shiny kind Just the one I found Made of sleepless nights And the way I stood ground I know what it costs To stay unbought To keep your own name When they want it bought So I pass that truth To the girls I got “Keep your soul in your chest And your head on top” [Verse 6] If I vanish tomorrow My steps still speak In the cracked-up walls And the bruised concrete I was raised on “try” With a hungry heartbeat Now I know my worth Ain’t a thing they keep So I lace my boots And I walk unbowed Not because it’s easy Just because I vowed The street may bite But it won’t own me now I’m the kind of hurt That learns how to vow