Common ground
Living Legends Lyrics

It's a kid on the corner of his block
There's a kid on the street corner.

And there's a genius in his room with a deep thought
And a genius is having deep thoughts in his room.

It's a grower in the hills with a crop
It's a grower in the hills with a crop to tend.

But if they all come together what they got?
But if they all come together, what do they have?

A little power unified to make a knot
They have a little bit of power when they are unified.

Well, of course
Well, of course.

And if a plan to expand is endorsed for some more
And if they endorse a plan to expand further.

Lend a hand, pay attention, and explore
They need to help each other, pay attention and explore.

We all in this people we all in this...
They are all in this together.

Well I don't know where you've been
I don't know where you've been.

But if you got here I'll let you in
But if you're here, I'll let you in.

Welcome you with open arms, now let's begin
I'll welcome you with open arms, and let's start.

Set the scene, serious as fuck minus the mean
Set the scene seriously, minus the negativity.

Build up your esteem and get to growing
Build up your confidence and start to grow.

There are people who know exactly what I mean
There are people who understand what I mean.

So when you find hate it ain't tight
So when you find hate, it's not cool.

I'm showing fools a place where they can come
I'm showing people a place where they can come.

And release the dumb deeds they've done
And release themselves from the dumb things they've done.

Cause ever since I was young I've been shown I wasn't alone
Because ever since I was young, I've been shown that I'm not alone.

I roamed with my unhoned skill
I roamed with my unpracticed skill.

And anyone who talked down on me
And anyone who talked down to me.

I knew they didn't know the deal
I knew that they didn't know the truth.

My belief was way larger than life
My belief was larger than anything imaginable.

Taking charge with the might in my mind
Taking charge with the power of my mind.

And recognizing that in other mankind
And recognizing that in other people too.

I knew I was on the right path, see
I knew that I was on the right path, you see.

Combating a fight, wrath raging for way too long
Fighting a long battle with anger and hatred.

And you might say you're strong, proud, loud and so on
You might say you're strong, proud, and loud, etc.

Steadily doing damage every time you get your flow on
Doing damage every time you rap.

I build in Oakland, Chicago and everywhere else I go
I build (meaning create music, and also build community) in Oakland, Chicago, and everywhere I go.

A rich man in poor man's body
A wealthy person trapped in a poor person's body.

That's what I was growin' up, hustlin' for the buck
That's how I grew up, hustling for money.

Mentally torn between just to be or not to be
Torn mentally between existing or not existing.

It gotta be it betta, be betta days ahead of me
It has to be better, with better days ahead of me.

The stressin', deprived of a childhood and adolescence
The stress of being deprived of a childhood and adolescence.

Learn my lesson, now it's all good
Learned my lesson, now everything is good.

I never thought I'd see the streets of so many hoods
I never thought I'd see so many different neighborhoods.

My heart done broke so many times, boy it's harder than wood
My heart has been broken so many times, it's like a piece of hard wood.

It's been a long road, but you know the game unfolds
It's been a long journey, but you know the game reveals itself.

I listen to the stories told by the cats of old
I listen to the stories told by the older generation.

Tryin' to tell me I don't know about strugglin'
Trying to tell me I don't understand struggle.

Like in the slave days, but ain't shit changed
Like in the days of slavery, but nothing has changed.

Instead we ain't wearin' chains, huh
Instead, we are not wearing chains, huh.

I feel the same pain but it's escalated
I feel the same pain, but it's worse now.

Niggas feel free, but still ain't emancipated
Black people may feel free, but they're still not fully emancipated.

So getting' faded is what's left off the green leaf
Getting high is what's left when all else is bad.

Hindering the mind, but when I'm high I feel fine
It harms the mind, but when I'm high, I feel good temporarily.

Been in the wrong place at the wrong time
I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

All the time, tryin' to journey into the light
All the time, trying to find a way out of the darkness.

But the dark ain't far behind
But the darkness is always close behind.

I'm at a color disadvantage but I manage
I am at a disadvantage because of my skin color, but I manage.

To make it work for me by the use of my talents
I make it work for me by using my talents.

And use common sense to gain dollars and cents
I use common sense to earn money.

And ain't ashamed of what I do
And I'm not ashamed of what I do.

Until the day I repent
Until the day I change for the better.

I stay humble through the many of fumbles
I stay humble despite my many mistakes.

I found trouble and trouble it doubles
I found trouble and it keeps getting worse.

In cities amongst the rubble
In cities among the ruins.

I learned from my mistakes to miss another
I learned from my mistakes so I wouldn't make the same ones again.

Resembling ignorance, isn't it all in the struggle?
Doesn't struggle often lead to ignorance?

Got you wondering, why?
Makes you wonder, why?

You wanna bubble so you hustle
You want to make money so you hustle.

Building the muscle that's not needed
Building muscles that are not necessary.

So the other one you ignore it
Ignoring the other muscles you don't work out.

And feed it more fantasy and you store it, the bubble
And feeding it more of a fantasy, and the bubble grows.

Your circumference of comfort
The area where you feel comfortable.

'Ghetto fabulous' important in society
'Ghetto fabulous' is important in society.

A circle of clubbing and girl fucking amounts to really nothing
A group of people going to clubs and sleeping around equals nothing in the end.

While we fronting for the public
While we are putting up a façade for the public.

We shove it down the throats of our kids and watch 'em love it
We force it upon our children and watch them love it.

And got the nerve to wonder why shit's fucked up
And we wonder why things are messed up.

The government lucked up, by giving fools the right to bear arms
The government made a mistake by giving the right to bear arms to people who are foolish.

'Cause we shoot each other down after last call
Because we shoot each other after the bars close.

What the fuck y'all???
What the hell is wrong with you all???