[Verse 1] Brick walls crumble, my dreams get caught in the mortar Mama praying nightly, drowning hope in holy water Streetlights flicker, shadows dance with the dealers Corner kids grow cold, ambition trapped in freezers No silver spoon, just a fork in a shattered road Potholes swallowing futures, dreams corrode [Verse 2] Gunshots serenade, lullabies for the night Hunger gnawing ribs, stomachs bark, ready to bite Concrete whispers secrets, cracked pavement confesses Young kings lose crowns, queens with torn dresses My homie’s laugh got silenced, chalk outlines testify A ghetto eulogy, tears rain from the sky [Verse 3] Backpacks full of books, but bricks weigh them down Knowledge costs too much when survival wears the crown The preacher’s words fade, lost in the liquor store glow Faith tested daily, like the dice on the corner roll Bulletproof dreams, we stitch ‘em with thread of steel But even iron bends under the pressure we feel [Verse 4] Hood's an open wound, bleeding stories untold Pain's the currency, traded for a heart that's cold I write my legacy in graffiti and broken glass A survivor's scripture etched in the underpass One day I’ll rise, phoenix wings from the grime But till then, I hustle, every second a climb
