Cold World
Inspectah Deck/The Genius Lyrics

Babies cryin' brothers dyin' and brothers getting knocked
The streets are filled with sorrow as babies cry, brothers die, and others get taken down.

Shit is deep on the block and you got me locked down
The situation is serious on the streets, and I feel trapped and unable to escape.

In this cold, cold world
I am surrounded by a harsh reality that is unforgiving and cold.

It was the night before New Year's, and all through the fuckin' projects
The eve of a new year finds me in the projects surrounded by danger and uncertainty.

Not a handgun was silent, not even a Tec
The streets are alive with the sound of gunfire, and no weapon is left unused.

Outside as I'm stuck, by enemies who put fear
I am trapped outside with enemies who instill fear in me.

And blasted on the spot before the pigs were dere
The enemy shoots me down before the police can even arrive.

You know hoods robbers snipers new in sight, fuck blue and white
The hoods, robbers, and snipers are out and unafraid, having no respect for the police.

They escape before them flash the fuckin' lights
The criminals escape before any police backup arrives.

Gunshots, shatter first floor window panes
Bullets fly and shatter the windows on the first floor of the buildings.

Shells hit the ground and blood stained the dice game
Bullets hit the ground and the blood of the victims stains the game of dice they were playing.

Whether broke callisthetic, any style you set it
No matter how broke or desperate someone may be, they will use any and every means to survive.

Beat niggas toothless, physically cut up like gooses
People are beaten ruthlessly, leaving them toothless and physically battered like a goose.

But with iron on the sides thugs took no excuses
Despite threats and excuses, the thugs are armed and show no mercy.

Therefore, your fifty-two handblocks was useless
Even a defense of fifty-two handblocks is useless against the brutality of the streets.

Links was snatched off necks, scars on throats
Chains were stolen off the necks of their owners, and scars were left on throats as a result of violence.

Jackets took, after bullet rips through coats
Jackets are taken after bullets tear through the coats of their owners.

Against those who felt the cold from the steel made em fold
Those who experience the cold, hard steel of a gun often end up surrendering.

And squeal, once the metal hit the temple of his grill
After being shot in the head, someone screams in pain and horror.

Destruction worker, who was caught for his bomber
A worker who destroys things is caught for his bomb-making activities.

No time to swing the hammer that was hangin' from his Farmer's
The worker has no time to even use the hammer he carries with him.

And it's bugged how some niggas catch slugs
It's strange how some people end up getting shot.

And pockets dug from everything except check stubs
Despite their violent activities, these people still struggle financially and don't even have regular paychecks.

And it does, sound ill like wars in Brownsville
The violence and chaos in Brownsville is reminiscent of a war.

Or fatal robberies in Red Hook where feds look
The robberies in Red Hook have been deadly and have attracted the attention of the FBI.

For fugitives to shoot cops, niggas layin' on roof tops
Fugitives are willing to shoot cops, and victims are found dead on rooftops.

For his CREAM he stashed in a shoebox
For his money, he stashed it away in a shoebox.

But he was hot, and the strip was filled with young killers
Despite his precautions, someone knew where he had stashed his money, and the area is filled with dangerous people.

You don't suspect, so cops creep like caterpillars
The police move quietly and cautiously, trying to avoid being noticed or attacked.

And born thieves stay hooded with extra bullets
People who are natural criminals stay anonymous by wearing hoods and carrying extra ammunition.

Those who try to flee they hit the vertebrae, increase the murder rate
Anyone who tries to escape is shot in the back and killed, only further escalating the murder rate.

Similar to hit men who pull out Tecs and then
Just like hit men who pull out Tec-9 guns and then begin to shoot.

Drop those who crack like tacos from Mexican
Those who show fear and break down are killed in a similar fashion to how tacos are broken apart in Mexican cuisine.

Rapid, like recipients cashin' checks again
The violence is quick and rapid, almost like a rush of excitement one might feel while cashing a check.

Back to the motherfuckin' spot on Lexington
Returning to the same dangerous spot on Lexington Avenue.

We be runnin' from the cops, bustin' off shots
We are constantly trying to avoid the police, and we have no problem using violence to do it.

Yo, no time to freeze, undercovers ease up in Grand Prixs
We must keep moving and can't afford to stop or hesitate, as undercover police officers in Grand Prixs are on our tail.

And seize packages and pocket the currency
The police take the things we've been carrying and keep the money for themselves.

Clicks control strips full clips are sprayed
Gangs controlling the streets fire their guns with full clips of ammunition.

Yellow tape barricades sidewalks where bodies lay
Police barricade the sidewalks with yellow tape, marking where dead bodies have been found.

Madness strikes at twelve o'clock midnight
Midnight brings madness and chaos to the streets.

Stick up kids on the ground broke the staircase light
Criminals who rob people at gunpoint break the staircase light as they escape.

And I stays harassed, scramblin' for petty cash
I am constantly harassed by the police, and I am just trying to find small amounts of cash to survive.

Jakes on my ass young bucks is learnin' fast
The police are on my tail, and young criminals are learning quickly how to navigate the streets without getting caught.

357's and 44's bought inside corner stores, their fire sparks the wars
Corner stores sell guns such as 357 Magnums and 44 Magnums, which are used to fuel the violence and conflict in the streets.

Hospital floors surrounded by the law
Hospitals are filled with police officers who guard injured victims, suspecting that they may be linked to the violence outside.

Homicide questioning while the Jakes guard the door
Police detectives are questioning people about homicides and other crimes, while other police officers keep a watchful eye on the door in case anyone tries to escape.

My hood stay tense, loyalty puts strength in my team
My neighborhood is constantly tense and dangerous, but loyalty to one another gives us the strength to survive and protect ourselves as a team.

'Cause niggas main concern is CREAM
People's main concern is getting money by any means necessary (Cash Rules Everything Around Me).

Some niggas in the jet black Gallant
Some people drive in a jet black Mitsubishi Gallant.

Shot up the Chinese restaurant, for this kid named Lamont
They shot up a Chinese restaurant because they were looking for someone by the name of Lamont.

I thought he was dead but instead he missed a kid
They had thought that they had killed Lamont, but instead they missed and hit a child.

And hit a twelve year old girl in the head and then fled
They hit a twelve-year-old girl in the head and then quickly left the scene.

Tactical narcotic, task force, back off fast
The police's special unit for narcotics and drugs must back off quickly from the dangerous streets.

'Cause the crime boss is passin' off cash
The criminal leader is passing out money to his underlings.

Extortions, for portions of streets, causes beef
Street extortion leads to conflicts among criminals.

Havin' followers of Indians trying to play Chief
Non-leader criminals are trying to take on leadership roles and control over the streets.

You witness the saga, casualties and drama
You are a witness to the ongoing story of violence and chaos, including the casualties and drama that come with it.

Life is a script, I'm not a actor but the author
Life is like a play or movie, and I am not just an actor. I actually write my own story with my choices and actions.

Of a modern day opera, where the main character
This story is like a modern-day opera, where the artist is the main focus.

Is presidential paper, the dominant, factor
Money is the main character or driving force behind everything that happens.