The Projects
Handsome Boy Modeling School Lyrics

It may take a long time but my house will last forever
I'm willing to put in the effort to build a sturdy home that will stand the test of time.

And it will have been worth it
The hard work and wait will pay off once my house is complete.

What are you going to build your house with?
What resources will you use to construct your home?

Yo I'm stayin' where we gettin' crazy love
I'm living in a community where people show a lot of affection and warmth.

My noisy neighbors live just above me
The people living in the apartment above me are quite loud.

Up in 13-A, there's drama everyday
Apartment 13-A experiences conflict on a daily basis.

The Super say he gon' fix the heat for sure
The building superintendent promises to repair the heating system.

Tchk, I done heard it five times before three locks on every door
I've heard this promise multiple times, hence why I have three locks on each of my doors.

'Cause some folks got the tendency to take
Unfortunately, some people have a tendency to steal things.

It ain't Beverly Hills, more like Stephanie Mills
My neighborhood is nothing like a luxurious place like Beverly Hills, it's more comparable to Stephanie Mills (a high-rise housing project in Brooklyn).

I never knew love like this could ever exist
I've never experienced love and connection with people like I have in this community.

Four corners in your metropolis yo it's the PJays pah
The PJays (Projects) are located at four different corners in the city.

We exquisite like cars made in foreign see ain't a day out here
We are remarkable, just like foreign-made luxury cars. There isn't a single day that's uneventful around here.

Ever boring where gunshots keep you up instead of heavy snoring
Gunshots are so common that it's more likely they'll disturb your sleep than a heavy snore.

Pipes dripping, instead of rivers pouring
We don't have a lot of flowing water around here, just occasional dripping pipes.

The elevator's broken down
The elevator, unfortunately, isn't working.

(Damn!)
Exclamation of frustration.

And man I'm needin' a lift
I really need the elevator to work.

Thank God we don't stay up on the twenty-fifth floor
I'm grateful that I don't live on the 25th floor because the stairs would be a daunting climb.

Yo we ain't always at war it's a lot about the Projects
Our community isn't always in conflict, there's more to it than that.

I do adore
I love it here.

But you wouldn't understand it the PJays is like another planet
If you're not from here, you wouldn't be able to comprehend what this place is like.

Heavy like granite you wouldn't understand it
It's a difficult place to live in, you really wouldn't get it.

The cops will catch you drawers down red-handed, it's outlandish
If you're caught doing something bad, the police will apprehend you right away. It's ridiculous and uncanny.

('Cause where I come from where we live is called the Projects)
The place I'm from is commonly referred to as the 'Projects'.

Come to our projects bout fo' in the morning
Visit our projects around 4am in the morning.

So I can tell you what be goin' on there
I'll give you an idea of what's happening here.

One block gunshots some hot stuff
On one block, you'll hear gunshots and there's often some intense activity.

Sell it to you for a buck, boy that ain't enough
I could tell you all this information for just one dollar, but it's not even worth it.

(C'mon)
Expression of encouragement.

Handcuffs on your brother man my wife's wonderin'
Your brother might end up in handcuffs, and my wife is worried.

When you gonna fix that tenant's plumbing man?
When will the building superintendent repair the tenant's plumbing?

I'm tired this ghetto's cool but it's on fire
I'm exhausted, this impoverished community might be interesting but it's filled with problems.

I see this fool with a crack pipe, lookin' wired
I witnessed someone smoking crack and they appeared to be jumpy and stimulated.

Hookers for hire, look at the plywood
Prostitutes are available for hire and the building is made of shoddy plywood.

(What, look)
Expression of surprise and disappointment.

On the building where termites is living
Termites are infesting the building.

(EW)
Expression of disgust.

My wife sleeps peacefully, it ain't easy to me
My wife can sleep without disturbance, but I can't because I'm troubled by the people who steal things.

'Cause I'm tripping off these peoples with they thievery
I'm really bothered by the locals who steal things.

Black white Chicano, hell if I know
I don't know what any of these people's racial identities are.

Every guy know about the stolen cell phone
All guys around here are aware of the issue with stolen cell phones.

I got the hook up police got me shook up in court, can't even fart
I have connections that could help me out, but I'm still nervous about going to court. I can't even relax or breathe easy.

It's okay though, I got the building, that pay dough
However, I'm still okay because I own the building and it generates income.

But some tenants act like they can say no
Some occupants of the building act like they have the right to refuse to do certain things.

(Hey)
Exclamation of attention.

I'm gettin' older in my years feel me? I got a folder worth of fears
I'm getting older and I'm feeling more afraid. I have a folder filled with my anxieties.

(Yup)
Affirmative response.

But it's cool, we gotta make it better don't take my sweater
It's okay, we need to improve this place. Please don't take my confidence.

(Make it better, c'mon)
Expression of motivation and encouragement.

Y'all make my head hurt I ain't even gonna finish this song
You all are giving me a headache, I'm not even going to finish this song.

It's too long I'ma watch Cops, in my La-Z-Boy, in my thong
The song is too long, I'm going to watch the TV show Cops while lounging in my La-Z-Boy chair while wearing a thong.