Verse 1 I reminisce on them days when a dollar stretched far, Now a paycheck disappear before you even leave the car, Back then we was broke, but somehow we got by, Now the bills keep climbing higher while the wages stay the same height. Used to dream about adulthood, thought the grass was greener too, Now I'm standing in these work boots seeing right through the view, The struggle never left us, it just changed clothes with time, Different faces, different places, same mountain we gotta climb. Rent higher, food higher, gas higher than before, Everybody working harder but still barely keeping score, Mama used to warn me life would test me every day, Didn't understand her words until I walked this path myself. Still see people chasing dreams while they're drowning in debt, Trying not to lose their faith from the pressure and the stress, But I learned from where I came from, keep your head above the tide, 'Cause survival is a victory they can never take aside. Hook I reminisce over yesterday, but some things never changed, The struggle got more expensive, but the hustle stayed the same, Still praying for better days while carrying this load, Still walking through the storm clouds on this long and winding road. I reminisce over yesterday, watching time keep rolling by, Through the highs and through the lows, we still survive, And though the cost keeps rising, trying to leave us behind, We keep pushing through the struggle one day at a time. Verse 2 Back then we had dreams sitting on the front steps, Talking 'bout the future with no fear and no regrets, Now the same crew got families, responsibilities to hold, Trying to teach the next generation what we learned growing old. Some friends moved away, some still stuck around the block, Some got caught up in the system, some got buried by the clock, Life don't stop for nobody, that's the lesson that I learned, Every chapter got a cost and every blessing must be earned. I still hear the old records when the world gets too loud, Those boom-bap drums remind me not to let my spirit bow, 'Cause hip-hop was more than music, it was therapy and truth, A guiding light through darkness from my childhood to my youth. The neighborhood changed faces, but the problems still remain, Just another generation trying to overcome the pain, And every morning that I wake up is a reason to be grateful, 'Cause a lot of folks I grew with never got this far, I'm thankful. Hook I reminisce over yesterday, but some things never changed, The struggle got more expensive, but the hustle stayed the same, Still praying for better days while carrying this load, Still walking through the storm clouds on this long and winding road. Verse 3 Now I'm older, a little wiser, seeing life through different eyes, Knowing money can't replace the things that really make us rich inside, Family, faith, and memories, the things that never fade, Not the numbers in a bank account or material things we chase. The world moves a little faster than it did back in the day, But I still believe tomorrow can bring brighter rays, Every scar became a lesson, every setback built my strength, Every mile of this journey showed me what resilience meant. So when I think about the '90s, it ain't just nostalgia talking, It's remembering how we survived when life gave us no options, And even now the struggle's here, wearing a different disguise, But I'm still standing on my feet and looking toward the skies. Because the story ain't about money, fame, or what we buy, It's about making it through hardships and still holding your head high, And when my final chapter's written, one truth will still remain: The struggle got more expensive... but we survived just the same. Outro The rent went up... The food went up... The gas went up... But so did our strength... Still here. Still fighting. Still reminiscing. Still surviving. 🎤✨
