Old Justice
Ka Lyrics

Then thou shalt give for life, eye for eye
The ancient code of justice requires that the punishment for taking a life should be the forfeit of the guilty party's own life.

Tooth for tooth, hand for hand
The penalty for causing a grievous injury should be an equal injury inflicted upon the perpetrator.

Foot for foot, burning for burning
The punishment should match the crime in severity, with the perpetrator feeling the same level of physical pain or discomfort as their victim.

Wound for wound, stripe for stripe
Retribution should be proportional to the harm caused, with the guilty party experiencing the same type and level of injury as their victim.

We was living in the living room
We were living in close quarters with little space or privacy.

Can't wait for it to come, need to get it soon
We were eagerly anticipating a delivery of drugs, which we needed to sell as soon as possible.

Cousin said he gon' get off a key, better get it to him
My cousin had arranged to receive a large shipment of drugs and I needed to ensure it was delivered to him.

By next weekend, could be eating with a bigger spoon
If we could quickly sell the drugs we'd acquired, we would have more money to live a more comfortable lifestyle.

Sold raw, no more scraping the bottom
We stopped selling small quantities of drugs to make ends meet and were now selling larger amounts, which would be more profitable.

Brave the corner where ain't no talking to Solomon
We took the risk of selling drugs on a dangerous street corner where the toughest drug dealers operated, with no chance of negotiating with them.

Read with aggression, assuming they waiting to rob him
We were always on guard and prepared to defend ourselves against other criminals who might try to steal our drugs or money.

Thought he was moving solution, without equating the problem
We believed that selling drugs would solve our financial problems, but we didn't fully consider the risks and negative consequences of that lifestyle.

When young in the flesh, hunger the best motivator
We were motivated to take risks and sell drugs because we were young and hungry for success.

That's word, get hurt out here if you don't know the nomenclature
You can get into serious trouble if you're not familiar with the language and culture of the criminal underworld.

Shark slangers, only thing you couldn't own was paper
We were like sharks, always looking for ways to make money, but we couldn't earn money honestly, so we had to resort to selling drugs.

Fam we bleed, ain't guaranteed staying home was safer
Even though we had families who cared about us, we couldn't be sure that staying home and avoiding a life of crime would protect us from danger.

Mass bandit, I suggested it but out flash demand it
We became notorious for our criminal activities, and many people in our community looked up to us and expected us to keep committing crimes.

Pull solo missions, wishing to et off mass transit
We often committed crimes alone, hoping to avoid being caught by the police or targeted by rival gangs while using public transportation to get around.

Letting shit pass, that's how you get your ass handed
If you're not careful and leave things unresolved, you can end up in a dangerous situation or get physically attacked.

All gaudy, thought he was fly 'til he crash landed
We acted arrogantly and thought we were invincible, but we eventually got into trouble and had to face the consequences of our actions.

Here cake exists only for those that take the risks
If you want to make money in a dangerous neighborhood, you have to be willing to take risks and break the law.

If the Lord offered, would you learn how, or take the fish?
If you were given an opportunity to learn a valuable skill or a shortcut to success, would you take it or try to achieve success on your own through hard work?

No dandelions, I got handed irons to make a wish
We didn't have access to the kind of opportunities that would allow us to succeed, so we had to resort to committing crimes to try to make a better life for ourselves.

Lived to hate, to the state was just another appear to frisk
We were filled with hatred for the police and government, who we saw as oppressive and unfair, and were often stopped and searched by law enforcement officers.

We begotten and forgotten, the covenant was rotten
We were born into a society that didn't offer us many opportunities or hope, and the social contract or unwritten agreement between us and the community was broken and unfulfilled.

Them days everything was grave, so we was plotting
During a difficult period in our lives when everything felt hopeless or dangerous, we were making plans to commit crimes to try to improve our situation.

Never cupped my hand, fuck what Same threw us out of guilt
We never received a helping hand or support from the government or others who had more privilege, and we didn't care what rich or powerful people thought of us or our situation.

We ate awkward that block of cheese, that powdered milk
We had to make do with whatever meager food was available to us, like a block of cheese or powdered milk.

Graduated hard knocks, where there's no diplomacy
We learned how to survive in a tough environment where there are no rules or negotiations, only violence and competition.

Shine, hope dimes pay attention and cops don't notice me
We tried to make ourselves stand out and get noticed in a positive way so that we could earn more money, but we also had to avoid attracting negative attention from law enforcement.

After grade sev', break bread, my friends ate
After finishing seventh grade, I started to make money by selling drugs, and my friends were able to benefit from my success.

The cypher's muddy, the cycle bloody 'til all my men straight
The group of criminals I was working with was disorganized and chaotic, and we were constantly facing problems and setbacks, but we kept going until everyone was successful and financially stable.

'Round here everybody know the truth
In our neighborhood, everyone knows that the law of vengeance and retribution is in effect.

A body for an eye, a body for a tooth
If someone commits a violent crime against you, you have the right to seek revenge by inflicting an equal or greater amount of harm upon them.

That's why I kept the shotty on the stoop
I kept a shotgun near the entrance to my home so that I could defend myself against anyone who tried to harm me or my family.

This rule apply to all recruits
Everyone who lives in our neighborhood is subject to the law of retribution and can expect violent retaliation if they harm someone else.

That's why they did they 1-2, with 3.45's
People in our community resort to lethal violence to avenge crimes committed against them, often using guns to kill their enemies.

They kill you for the truth
If you reveal sensitive information or cross one of the powerful criminal bosses in our community, you can expect to be killed as punishment.

Faster than the lies, man
The retribution for telling the truth or breaking the law is quicker and more violent than that for lying.

Being so close to death made us more alive
Living in a dangerous environment where death could come at any moment made us more aware of our mortality and more appreciative of life.