Hurt Me Soul
Lupe Fiasco Lyrics

Now I ain't trying to be the greatest
I'm not interested in being the top rapper

I used to hate hip-hop, yup, because the women degraded
I didn't like hip-hop because it often degraded women

But Too Short made me laugh, like a hypocrite I played it
Despite my aversion, I found humor in Too Short's music and still listened to it, making me a hypocrite

A hypocrite I stated, though I only recited half
I acknowledged my hypocritical behavior, but only admitted to reciting some of the explicit lyrics

Omitting the word 'bitch,' cursing I wouldn't say it
I didn't want to say the word 'bitch,' but had no qualms about using other curse words

Me and dog couldn't relate, 'til a bitch I dated
I didn't understand the misogyny in hip-hop until I dated a woman who was the subject of it

Forgive my favorite word for hers and hers alike
I'm asking forgiveness for using derogatory language towards women

But I learnt it from a song I heard and sorta liked
I picked up the derogatory language from a song I enjoyed, but now regret using it

Yeah, for the icing, glamorized drug dealing was appealing
I was initially drawn to hip-hop's portrayal of drug dealing as something desirable

But the block club kept it from in front of our building
My local community was able to limit the influence of drug dealers and gangsta rap on our block

Gangsta rap-based filmings became the building blocks
Movies based on gangsta rap became the foundation for young people's understanding of urban life

For children with leaking ceilings catching drippings with pots
These films affected children in impoverished living conditions trying to capture water for basic needs

Coupled with compositions from Pac, Nas's 'It Was Written'
In addition to the movies, music by Tupac and Nas influenced my view of the world

In the mix with my realities and feelings
My own experiences with living conditions, religion, and other factors shaped my worldview

Living conditions, religion, ignorant wisdom and artistic vision
My understanding of the world was shaped by my experiences, beliefs, ignorance, and artistic taste

I began to jot, tap the world and listen, it drop
I started writing and paying attention to my surroundings, and began to see things differently

My mom can't feed me, my boyfriend beats me
I'm experiencing poverty and domestic violence

I have sex for money, the hood don't love me
I'm forced to sell myself for money and don't feel love from my community

The cops wanna kill me, this nonsense built me
I feel threatened by the police and the difficulties of life in the hood have made me who I am

And I got no place to go
I have no safe or comfortable place to turn for help

They bomb my village, they call us killers
My community is being victimized by war and we're being unfairly labeled

Took me off they welfare, can't afford they health care
I'm being cut off from support and can't afford basic health needs

My teacher won't teach me, my master beats me
I'm being denied an education and experiencing abuse from my boss

And it hurts me soul
All of these experiences are having a profound emotional impact on me

I had a ghetto boy bop, a Jay-Z boycott
I initially enjoyed hip-hop, but then boycotted Jay-Z due to his lyrics

Cause he said that he never prayed to God, he prayed to Gotti
I took issue with Jay-Z's lyrics saying he prayed to a drug dealer instead of God

I'm thinking godly, God guard me from the ungodly
I'm trying to be righteous and protect myself from immoral people

But by my 30th watching of 'Streets is Watching'
I eventually relented and watched the film 'Streets is Watching' multiple times despite my objections

I was back to giving props again and that was bothering
I started to once again praise hip-hop, but it was unsettling to me

By this uncomfortable as a untouchable touching you
This conflict made me feel uneasy, like an outcast who's still trying to fit in

The theme songs that niggas hustle to seem wrong
Hip-hop songs that glorify the drug game don't seem right to me anymore

But these songs was coming true
I realized that these songs were a reflection of reality, not just entertainment

And it was all becoming cool
Despite my misgivings, the culture was becoming more accepted and mainstream

I found a condom on the ground that Johns would cum into and thought
I came across a condom on the street and it made me reflect on prostitution and the motivations behind it

What constitutes a prostitute is the pursuit of profit then they drop it
I realized that financial need was often what drives people to become prostitutes

The homie in a suit pat her on the butt, then rock it
I observed someone in a position of power sexually harassing a prostitute

It seems I was seeing the same scene adopted
I began seeing this type of behavior everywhere, as if it was the norm

Prevalent in different things with the witnesses indifferent to stop it
This kind of behavior was happening across different contexts, but people were apathetic to it

They said don't knock it, mind ya business
People told me not to judge and to keep out of it

His business isn't mine and that nigga pimping got it
I was being told to let the pimp do his thing and not intervene

They took my daughter, we ain't got no water
My child was taken away and we don't have access to basic necessities like water

I can't get hired, they cross on fire
I'm being discriminated against in employment and my community is threatened by racism

We all got suspended, I just got sentenced
Everyone in my community is being punished, but I'm personally receiving a harsher punishment

So I got no place to go
I'm left with nowhere to turn for help or support

They threw down my gang sign, I ain't got no hang time
My identity and community are being invalidated and I feel disconnected from my own roots

They talk about my sneakers, poisoned our leader
People are fixated on superficial things and the legacy of our great leaders is being destroyed

My father ain't seen me, turn off my TV
I haven't had contact with my father and I'm disillusioned with the media

'Cause it hurts me soul
All of these experiences are deeply affecting me on an emotional and spiritual level

So through the Grim Reaper sickle sharpening
The horror and violence of the world are like a Grim Reaper sharpening his scythe

Macintosh marketing
While companies profit off of technology, these negative realities continue to exist

Oil field auguring
Even natural resources are being exploited and war is being waged over them

Brazilian adolescent disarmament
Young people in Brazil are being forced to disarm, but are still facing violence

Israeli occupation
People are being oppressed and displaced in occupied territories

Islamic martyrdom, precise
People are dying in the name of religion and precision weapons are being used

Yeah, laser guided targeting
We have the ability to precisely target and kill individuals, but we're still causing unnecessary harm and destruction

Oil for food, water, and terrorist organization harboring
Even basic needs like food and water, as well as terrorism, are being funded by oil money

Sand camouflage army men
We're using camouflage to blend in to the deserts we're fighting in

CCF sponsoring, world conquering, telephone monitoring
Organizations and nations are funding and supporting global domination and surveillance

Louis Vuitton modeling, pornographic actress honoring
People are engaging in luxury and indulgence while also praising porn and other forms of exploitation

String theory pondering, bulimic vomiting
People are contemplating complex scientific theories while also suffering from eating disorders

Catholic priest fondling, pre-emptive bombing and Osama and no bombing them
Sexual abuse by Catholic priests is happening alongside military intervention and terrorism

They breaking in my car again, deforestation and overlogging and
Petty crime is happening as well environmental destruction and exploitation

Hennessy and Hypnotic swallowing, hydroponic coughing and
People are overindulging in alcohol and drugs

All the world's ills, sittin' on chrome 24-inch wheels, like that
All these problems are happening in a society obsessed with luxury and material possessions

They say I'm infected, this is why I injected
People are accusing me of being diseased and that's why I turned to drugs

I had it aborted, we got deported
I had an abortion and then was deported from my home country

My laptop got spyware, they say that I can't lie here
I feel like my privacy is being violated and I can't even express myself truthfully anymore

But I got no place to go
I'm still left without a safe or comfortable place to turn

I can't stop eatin', my best friend's leaving
I'm struggling with an eating disorder and my closest friend is abandoning me

My pastor touched me, I love this country
I'm a victim of sexual abuse by a religious leader, but still feel loyal to my country

I lost my earpiece, I hope y'all hear me
I'm losing connection with the world around me, but still hoping to be heard

'Cause it hurts me soul
All of these experiences are deeply affecting me on an emotional and spiritual level