| You gotta talk to niggas in the language they can understand
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| (That's how it always been)
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| It’s crazy I got an hour up this late
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| (That's how it always been)
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| Ayo, some shit you ain’t gon' never change, so don’t worry 'bout it
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| (That's how it always been)
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| It’s the way it always been
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| Real shit though
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| Yo, word to every block in my city they heard I got it
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| And my track record certainly show I deserve the homage
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| And they refer to my shit like Malcolm X’s word of knowledge
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| Cookin' coke, burnin' product was only a learnin' process
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| Steppin' on a brick of fentanyl before you heard about it
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| And my phone used to ring so much you get nervous 'round me
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| Cut ties with the game, the same shit that certified me
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| All my clientele gone, miss the customer service, buy me
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| Yeah, they just like me, in my Prada flippers
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| Ties to Virginia like Teddy Riley, since rap I been treadin' lighty
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| They mad I’m back rappin' 'bout dope again, nevermind me
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| The pressure from my pen made them rap a lil' better finally
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| They crooked, bendin' the rules, rappers I considered them cool
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| But when you talkin' most authentic, then who gon' fit in my shoes?
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| I’m livin' my truth, sky is the only limit I knew
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| From drug dealin' to music, I mean, what didn’t I do?
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| Who didn’t I put on? |
| Took Ls and then I recruit
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| On the shoestring budget I showed them what I could do
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| Ask Jake the next cat 'bout the bosses that I produced
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| I’m West best investment, but that’s between me and you (Uhh)
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| Always been that way (That's how it always been)
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| Come on, that shit ain’t never gonna change
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| Just continue straight ahead
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| That’s the one thing that’s never gonna change
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| The way things have always been
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| Had to quit blastin' cigarettes (Uh huh)
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| Was two-timin' my dad, my momma big in this
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| But the gang happen to blame, my lyrical regret (Yeah)
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| My brain a bit of a wreck
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| All this stress and strain let it disconnect (Woah)
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| Cheffin' up all the 'caine in that kitchen net (Skrrt)
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| Acquainted with big as X who filthied out my name just to split a check
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| (Whatever)
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| Feel like I been betrayed by my silhouette (Yeah)
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| Mistakes was made to correct
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| How I deal with the fame made me get upset (Ayy)
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| Treated the same way that I lived or death
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| Shit been wearin' a nigga down
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| Refraining from different stages of self neglect
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| Give me chills in my veins, takin' whatever’s left (Woah, cold)
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| From everything that was took in blatant disrespect
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| For good, better best, learn traitor for less (Whatever)
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| Took everything that came with it, and that came with a check (Big money)
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| But yeah, still a nigga rich off paintin' depressed
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| Chasin' the letter here, ain’t got a case to catch
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| David Blaine with the press, tame a dog and made it fetch
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| Whatever
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| Come on, that shit ain’t never gonna change
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| It’s been goin' on since the beginning of time
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| That’s the one thing that’s never gonna change
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| The way things have always been |