Dirty Cops, Hard Time.

Courtroom clock tick, judge won't meet my eyes Paperwork stacked high, truth buried in lies Blue coats circle while the bail keeps climbing Every locked door got a rich man signing I learned every crack in the wall by heart Every cold meal marked another restart They want quiet mouths and a number on file But I came out breathing with a dangerous smile Dirty cops, hard time, pressure on the line Paid in sweat and blood, still I never resign Hardcore rhyming, straight out the gutter Whole block locked in, nobody stutter Visitation glass, my little brother's face Said, “Keep your head up, don't let them erase” I could see the fear underneath his grin Same cracked pavement waiting when I get in No halo, no hero, no clean escape Just a black marker map and a torn-up cape The warden wants a confession, the crew wants proof I give both of them silence underneath this roof Radio crackle: unit moving through the hall Metal doors slam hard when the night shift calls Count it once, count it twice, count it one more time Still ten toes down on the hard-time line Now the drum hits heavy like a cell door crash Piano cuts sharp while the turntables slash I don't need a crown, I don't need their praise I need my name clear from the smoke and haze Every false report left a scar in the town Every paid informant tried to hold me down But the truth got weight and the truth won't rust When the whole system bends, it remembers us Dirty cops, hard time, pressure on the line Paid in sweat and blood, still I never resign Hardcore rhyming, straight out the gutter Whole block locked in, nobody stutter Dirty cops, hard time, hear the whole yard shake No more quiet deals, no more records to fake Scratch it back, let the raw truth climb Lock it down, lock it down — hard time No clean story, no easy sign-off Truth in the concrete, still we rise off