Time
Eightball Lyrics

3 kids started off being friends to the end
The song begins with a reminiscence of the artist's childhood, talking about how he and two other boys grew up together and remained friends until now.

Growing up in a time that turned boys to men
The period during which the artist and his friends grew up helped them to mature into adulthood.

Carlo was the slick one, the little girls liked him
Among the three friends, Carlo was the one who was charming with girls and got a lot of female attention.

And all the little niggaz in the hood, wanted to fight him
However, this also made Carlo a target of many other boys in the area who were envious of him and wanted to challenge him.

But Carlo, main nigga James wasn't having that
The third friend in the group, James, was also one of the closest and he didn't let anyone harm Carlo.

James had boxing game and left niggaz laying flat
James was a good boxer and could defend himself and his friends against any potential threats using his skills.

All of us 12 or 13 at the time
The three friends were still very young, around 12 or 13 years old, when they encountered some dangerous situations.

Drinking cheap wine, and smokin' brown bag dimes
During their adolescence, the artist and his friends would often indulge in bad habits such as drinking cheap wine and smoking brown bag cannabis.

I was into writing rhyme in class at school
The artist was interested in writing raps, even during school hours, which shows his dedication to it from a young age.

Waitin' for the bell to ring so we can go and shoot pool
The artist and his friends enjoyed playing pool and would often eagerly wait for the school day to end so they could go play.

One day, some up the block niggaz came talking shit
One day, some guys from another block came up to the artist and his friends and started talking trash to them.

Bragin' on they clique, and how many crews they click with
These guys were bragging about how many other groups they were associated with and trying to provoke a conflict.

Tryin' to start some extra clip shit, them niggaz so for real
These guys were trying to start trouble, and the situation was getting increasingly dangerous.

James so cool to get with fucked his whole grill
James was so confident in his abilities that he managed to beat one of the other guys, which led to him getting his teeth knocked out.

Carlo, that slick nigga pulled a 22
Carlo used a gun to scare off the other guys and protect himself and his friends.

They got some heat too, what the fuck we gonna do?
The other guys also had guns, which made the situation even more dangerous.

Bust and hit the backdoor, now we in the alleyway
The artist and his friends fled the scene and escaped into a nearby alley to avoid any further confrontation.

Running, heart pumpin' fast tryin' to see another day
The situation was so intense that the artist's heart was racing as he ran away, with the fear that he may not make it out alive.

Blessed to escape the mayhem
Despite the alarming situation, the artist and his friends were fortunate to escape safely without getting hurt.

Time and time again, we escaped the mayhem
The artist reflects on how lucky he and his friends were to repeatedly evade dangerous situations growing up.

You done heard you got rich huh?
The artist is asked by one of his old acquaintances if he has indeed become wealthy.

You don't fuck around with us in the hood no more huh?
The old friend has noticed that the artist is no longer around their old neighborhood, and seems to have left behind his old lifestyle.

How life can loosen up a friendship that's so tight
The artist reflects on how life can impact once-strong friendships and cause them to drift apart over time.

Us being homeboys, didn't seem so fine
The artist recognizes that despite their closeness in the past, his friendship with this person seems to have lost its spark.

Years of just fuckin' around, rappin' in the neighborhood
The artist reminisces on his past times spent rapping with his friends in the neighborhood, before he became successful.

Found me with a gold album, tryin' to live my life good
The artist has achieved success as a rapper, and is now trying to live a good life with the wealth he has earned.

Carlo got popped with 8 keys in a minivan
Carlo, one of the artist's old friends, was caught with a large amount of drugs and is now serving time in prison.

Somewhere in Tex, Arcan, doin' about a hundred man
Carlo is now serving his sentence in a Texas prison and is not expected to be released any time soon.

That nigga James, straight cutthroat on them snouts
James, another friend of the artist, has become involved in criminal activity and is making money robbing drug dealers.

Robbin' dope boys, gettin' what the fuck he want
James is not afraid to rob drug dealers to get what he wants, and has become very successful in doing so.

Now you have to play with death
The artist reflects on how success in the criminal world can come with significant danger, and there is always a risk of death.

Do you remember your childhood, back when
The artist's song takes on a nostalgic tone, asking listeners if they remember their childhood when they were younger and carefree.

You didn't have to have loot, to have friends
The artist recalls a time when friendship was not contingent on wealth, and people could form deep connections without monetary incentives.

Now it's all about your benjamins, your cash flow
In modern times, people's focus seems to be on making money and acquiring wealth, rather than forming meaningful friendships.

And if a nigga fuck with that, he better know
People who try to interfere or disrupt this focus on wealth may face retaliation and violence from those who are invested in it.

Time changed everything, between us
The passage of time has changed the dynamics between the artist and his old friends, and they are no longer as close as they once were.

And if I see you in the streets, I gotta bust
The artist is warning his old friends that if he sees them and they are not on good terms, he may take violent action against them.

You used to be a friend to me, one I could trust
The artist is regretful that he no longer has the same level of trust with his old friends, remembering a time when they were very close and loyal to each other.

One day, I'm on my way to the studio, ya dig?
The artist is describing a time when he was on the way to record music in a studio.

Pick up a zip of hay, after I drop off my kids
Before the artist went to the studio, he had to complete some errands, such as dropping off his children and buying drugs.

Flippin' through the hood, seen James with his little crew
The artist encounters his old friend James while he is driving through the neighborhood, along with James's entourage of friends.

Blue rags up, in a drop top Malibu
James and his friends are wearing blue bandanas, which may signify their gang affiliation, and are driving in a convertible Malibu car.

Bloodshot eyes, I could smell the dip burnin'
James seems to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, with bloodshot eyes and the smell of cigarette smoke in the air.

Bumpin' DJ Squeeky, flashin' what the earnin'
They are playing music by DJ Squeeky and flashing their wealth and success through various means, such as by flaunting their cars and jewelry.

He asked about Carlo, well what can I say?
James inquires about their mutual friend Carlo, who is currently in prison.

I write him when I get a chance, but I pray for him everyday
The artist tells James that he tries his best to stay in touch with Carlo while he's in prison and is thinking about him regularly.

Lookin' at my ride, tellin' me nigga you comin' up
James comments on the artist's car and seems to be impressed with his success as a musician, recognizing that he is now wealthy.

Fuckin' with that rappin' stuff, I guess you just forgot about us
James expresses his disappointment that the artist has seemingly forgotten about his old friends from the neighborhood and hasn't been around as much.

Nah cat, it ain't like that
The artist denies that he has forgotten about his old friends, but he has to focus on his music career and supporting his family.

I gotta eat, that's when James clicked and pulled out his fuckin' heat
The artist explains that he has to work hard and keep making music to support himself, which James doesn't seem to understand and pulls out a gun.

I hit the gas, he kept bustin' till the clip was empty
The artist speeds away in his car while James keeps shooting at him until he runs out of ammunition.

17 shots, and didn't nothin hot nip me
Despite being shot at 17 times, the artist is miraculously unharmed and is able to escape the situation unscathed.

Quickly, grabbed my shit and opened it up wide
The artist wastes no time and quickly opens his own gun, preparing to defend himself if needed.

The nigga on the passenger side instantly died
The artist manages to shoot and kill one of the passengers in James's car while he is fleeing the scene.

James bailed, I gave chase, fuck the consequence
The artist decides to pursue James despite the potential danger, as he wants to ensure that he can't harm him or anyone else any more.

If I let him live, he'll start another incident
The artist realizes that if he lets James live, he will likely try to start more confrontations with him or others, so he must eliminate the threat.

12 years ago, I never thought I'd see the day
The artist reflects on how unlikely it would have seemed 12 years ago that he would be chasing down his old friend James, who had tried to kill him.

Shit would ever be this way
The artist is saddened that his old relationships have ended up in this way, marred by violence and animosity rather than camaraderie and trust.