It
Common Lyrics

Night Blows, Stoves don't work, Hoes at work
The night is long, stoves aren't functioning, and prostitutes are on duty - it's a typical scenario on the streets.

A warrior, so I wear 'em on my shirt
I am a fighter, and I proudly display my battle scars on my clothes.

Wish I was free as Che was, I spend a day buzzed
I yearn for the freedom Che Guevara possessed, and sometimes I turn to alcohol for relief.

Tripping on heights, wishing for Nikes in different flavors
I crave for high experiences, and I wish for a variety of Nike shoes.

The age of Kane and Big Daddy, shown by the caddies
The era of hip hop icons Kane and Big Daddy is indicated by the luxury cars they drove.

Uncles named Larry, that really never grabbed me
My uncles, named Larry, never really connected with me.

My mother gave birth but she really never had me
My mother gave birth to me, but she never truly raised me.

Left to the hood to play daddy
I had to grow up fast in the streets and become the father figure in my community.

Raised by niggas named Butch through the bay bay
I grew up under the guidance of African American men named Butch in the Bay Area.

With waists so they weigh they status on the streets
Men in the hood measure their status by how much money and goods they physically carry on them.

License plates that say they, motto This is Chicago in the hay day
Cars in Chicago have license plates that depict the city's glory days.

Similar to Good Times, I guess that I was Jay Jay
My life was similar to the TV show Good Times, and I felt a connection with the character Jay Jay.

A skinny nigga, young girls with penny figures
I was a thin young man, and I was attracted to girls who didn't have much money.

So many niggas, stacked upon each other
There are so many African American men crowded together in the inner city.

It's the black upon each other that we love so much
We find solace in the company of other African American men despite the struggles we face.

Wonder how many of us, these drugs gonna touch
I worry about how many people in my community will succumb to drugs and addiction.

Used to gang bang, ain't really thug that much
I used to be a part of a gang, but I don't consider myself a true thug anymore.

Rather have some thick broads then the dutch to clutch
I prefer having curvy women by my side than to hold onto cigarillas.

Went to school in Baton Rouge for a couple of years
I attended school in Baton Rouge for a short period.

My college career got downed with a couple of beers
I didn't finish college due to my drinking habits.

Came back home, now I gotta pay back loans
I returned to my hometown, and now I have to pay off my student loans.

Same nigga, same block, same shit they own
I'm still the same person, and I live on the same street as always.

Only thing different, quicker, they click that chrome
The only difference nowadays is that people are quicker to resort to violence.

In my defense, yo I had to hit that zone
I had to defend myself and fight back against my attackers.

Man to man, I'm good working with my hands
I am skilled with my hands when it comes to working and fighting.

My generation never understood working for the man
People my age don't understand what it means to work for a company or a boss.

And, of being broke I ain't a fan
I don't like being financially unstable.

Now I stand in the same spot, as my old man
I find myself in the same place as my father once did.

My life I planned not to be on this corner
I never planned on spending my life on the streets like this.

I still wanna see California
I still have dreams of visiting California someday.

But this is my world
Despite everything, this is the world that I belong to.

"It's your world"
The world belongs to everyone, and it's up to us to make it a better place.

Life and death law around us
The streets are dangerous, and death is a constant presence.

Four pounds and pounds a verb from out of towners
Drug dealers from outside the city sell their products in large quantities.

It's hard to stay grounded
It's difficult to maintain stability in this environment.

We stay high, that's why old folks down us
We often turn to drugs to escape reality, and older generations disapprove of our behavior.

Lost, nobody found us, the force that surrounds us
We feel lost and abandoned, and the harsh realities of our surroundings are overwhelming.

Ain't with us, they get us on the ground and hit us
Law enforcement agencies are hostile towards us, and they often use force to subdue us.

We paint pictures of the chains under their names and scriptures
We create artwork representing the institutionalized oppression we face.

Removed from earth, only to return through birth
Despite dying prematurely, our spirits will live on and be reincarnated.

Knew this girl selling her body, wish she knew what it was worth
I knew a woman who was involved in prostitution, and I wish she realized her true value as a person.

Between God and trash, looking in every car that pass
This woman is standing at a crossroads and searching for a way out of her current situation.

With a walk that suggests head, to milk niggas she was breastfed
She uses her body language to attract men, as she was raised in a community where sex work was common.

She know dairy so she say cheese to get bread
She knows how to use her body to earn money and get by.

In the area where it's more weaves and less dreads
The neighborhood is known for women who wear fake hair extensions rather than natural hair.

Kinda scary, amongst thieves and base-heads
Living amongst criminals and drug addicts is a frightening prospect.

Said it was her toes, but I could tell her soul hurt
She claimed her feet were bothering her, but I could sense her inner pain and suffering.

She was cold turk, growing up she got to know hurt
She has developed a tough exterior to cope with the trauma she has endured throughout her life.

Very well in a world where self-hate is overt
It's common for people in our community to have internalized self-hatred due to societal oppression.

Her step-father that he was ike, so her mother he striked
Her mother was involved in an abusive relationship with her stepfather who was similar to Ike Turner.

She got to like like minded niggas, who liked crimes and figures
She was drawn to men who were similar to her, who were involved in criminal activities and cash flow.

Doing white lines and liquor, see hard times had kicked her
She turned to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with her hardships.

In the ass, it used to be thicker
Her body used to be curvier, but her lifestyle has taken a toll on her physical appearance.

Life is fast, some choose to be quicker
Life is short, and some people choose to live it to the fullest by any means necessary.

I remember in high school she had a passion to sing
I recall that she had a talent for singing when we were in high school.

Now she see herself in a casket in dreams
She has given up on her dreams and instead envisions her own death.

These are the children of crack and rap, blacks done lack
We are the products of the crack epidemic and the hip hop culture, and we have been deprived of opportunities and resources.

Self-esteem, yo we forgot the dream
Our lack of self-esteem has caused us to forget about the dreams and aspirations we once had.

On our Jefferson's y'all but we forgot the theme
We try to act like the Jeffersons, but we've lost sight of the bigger picture.

In the Chi, we even rooting for a garbage team
Even our sports teams are subpar, but we still support them passionately.

This queen never seen herself on this Corner
This woman has never imagined herself living on the streets.

She still wanna see California
She still has her dreams of visiting California despite her circumstances.

But this is her world
Regardless of her struggles, this is still the world she inhabits and must navigate through.