Concrete

Concrete cookin' bare feet, hydrant water in the street Summer gave us a moment, cool wet made us feel complete Old head at the bodega, knew my face and kept it trill Showed him A's, he slid chocolate, kept it real Thin walls whisperin' secrets through the paint that's peelin' fast Every breath held in the ceiling, every ghost that I've amassed This block carved me from carcass, every wound a lesson carved In the gutter where vultures wait, I bite before I starve Spawned on blood-soaked asphalt, where sirens scream you to sleep Honor the oath you swear, the only vow you keep Bullets kiss the concrete, war that never bleeds dry This is where they forged me, this is where I die Bus stop hustlers at daybreak, movin' work before the bell rings Eight years old with hawk-eyes, learnin' quick to read the strings Big bro claimed he'd lift us out, one big lick would flip the game Found him stiff in the cut, mouth open, nothin' stays the same Gunpowder smoke in July air, mixed with garbage and decay Another stiff, another Hail Mary, another shorty taught to spray Spawned on blood-soaked asphalt, where sirens scream you to sleep Honor the oath you swear, the only vow you keep Bullets kiss the concrete, war that never bleeds dry This is where they forged me, this is where I die Crib walls thin, heard next door flush and moan Heard the old lady cry, heard the old man break her bone Heard the baby wail, heard the landlord bang and cuss Heard cops bust down, "Another one bit the dust" Rats in the wall scratchin', roaches havin' wars Devil on the rooftop, callin' to the lost cause Spawned on blood-soaked asphalt, where sirens scream you to sleep Honor the oath you swear, the only vow you keep Bullets kiss the concrete, war that never bleeds dry This is where they forged me, this is where I die Gang tags on the projects, carved in aerosol lines Crack vials in the puddles, this world is yours, not mine Graffiti prophets screamin' truths on deaf ears Dyin' since birth, drownin' slow in our fears Forgotten by the suits, left to rot or rise Concrete coffin we exist, concrete gods and lies Pops did 15, got out, caught another case Moms stripped, brought tricks home, I hid my face Little sis snatched at 12, now she work the block Little bro caught a body at 14, now he sleep with cops Me? Still standin' in the wreckage, pencil grip like a strap Turnin' concrete trauma into words that slap [chopped vocal glitch] Spawned on blood-soaked asphalt, where sirens scream you to sleep Honor the oath you swear, the only vow you keep Bullets kiss the concrete, war that never bleeds dry This is where they forged me—built to die This is what I bleed This is what I feed Concrete birthed me Concrete's all I need [echoes into silence]