Battle Cry
Mac Lyrics

Dedicated to all the soldiers we lost in the struggle
This song is a tribute to all the soldiers who lost their lives fighting for a cause they believed in.

Probably losin' the World War three niggas
The artist feels like they are in the middle of a war and unfortunately, they are likely to lose.

Rest In Peace
A message of condolences to all the souls who lost their lives in the struggle.

Anticipatin' just waitin' quotin' my battle cry
The artist is gearing up for what he/she anticipates will be a brutal fight and is waiting for his/her moment to call out for battle.

Don't want to die but if I gotta, I'm ready 'cause
The artist prefers to live but is willing to die for what he/she believes in, to fight for a better cause - this willingness finds its roots in faith.

Just hope the Lord is forgiving as Mama said He was, nigga what?
The artist seeks redemption and hopes that the Almighty Lord will forgive his/her sins as he/she has been taught by his/her mother.

I struggled and strived long as I been alive
The artist has been through a lot of hardship, and it has been a journey of struggle to survive, until this point.

Witnessed my first murder back in 1985
The artist has been exposed to violence from a very young age, and the first-ever killing he/she witnessed happened in 1985.

I walk with the wicked and kick it with the thugs
The artist is surrounded by the wrong kind of people but prefers to walk with them as compared to walking alone, even though it is not the right path to follow.

In fact, saw the police and smoked some bud
The artist has seen police officers turn a blind eye while he/she was smoking weed, and in turn, himself/herself more than just getting involved with the wrong company.

But never no love, I witnessed the sickness of unprotected lust
The artist has never experienced true love and has witnessed many people engaging in meaningless, unprotected sexual activities.

So many children born just because the rubbers bust
A metaphorical usage of the phrase 'rubbers bust,' meaning that people engage in unprotected sex, resulting in the birth of unwanted children.

I sympathize with they mothers but fuck the men
The artist feels for the mothers who are left alone to raise unwanted children and dislikes the men who are responsible for their conception.

'cause a man ain't shit, if he's no papa to his children
According to the artist, a man is worthless if he neglects his children and does not take up the responsibility of being a father.

My woman's a thug girl, but I love her dearly
The artist's partner is associated with criminal elements of society, but he/she remains in love with her nonetheless.

My patnas are thieves and I know that, but I keep em near me
The artist's friends are also involved in illegal activities, but even then, he/she considers them close and cannot disassociate from them.

It's gettin' kinda hard for me
The artist has had it tough, and the situation is getting worse every day.

In the city where the drama just be callin' me
The artist is in a city where chaos and conflict are a regular occurrence and calls out to him/her.

I live among the roaches and the rats
The artist is forced to live in and among some of the worst conditions, where pests are a regular sight.

And the killers and the crack
The artist lives amongst murderers, drug dealers, and addicts.

And the policemen that slang that smack
The artist is aware that corrupt police officers are involved in drug peddling and distribution.

I lay me down to sleep, clutchin' my heat
The artist is aware of the dangers of living in his/her area and sleeps with a firearm to protect himself/herself.

With my sneakers on my feet,
The artist is prepared to run if he/she has to, wearing his/her sneakers, in case he/she needs to do so.

Just in case my window locks on me, I be...
The artist is always prepared for the worst - this line may be a reference to escaping from a place where someone may have come to harm him/her.

And as the blood of my niggas flood the streets,
The artist is witnessing an alarming number of people losing their lives in conflict and war-like conditions, and the sight of blood on the street is commonplace.

I refuse to speak, the cracks and concrete
The artist chooses to remain silent and sees no use in speaking up against the violence that surrounds him/her.

Can disguise ya feet
The cracks on the street could be big enough for someone to hide their feet in and avoid being sighted.

And tears fall at the site of these white sheets
The artist gets emotional and tears up whenever he comes across the sight of a white sheet signifying a person who died there.

The street like heat
The street can burn you up, even hotter than the sun.

The cold secrets, that midnight keeps
The street is often harsh and cruel, and it retains its secrets even at midnight.

And we was raised by it, it's common as a cold
The artist was brought up in these conditions, and the situation is common, much like catching a cold.

Eyes are closed, body is froze
The artist has had enough of the situation and does not know what to do - his/her eyes are closed, and body freezing up either with fear or despair.

Blood leakin' out they nose
The artist sees blood pouring out of someone's nose who has succumbed to his/her injuries and lost the fight.

I never chose I was given
The artist did not choose to grow up in these conditions but was born in such circumstances.

Survival of the fit livin'
Only those who are strong enough to endure the struggle can live and survive in these conditions.

Driven insane by it's rhythm, but fuck
The artist is about to go insane from the constantly harsh conditions, but he/she has decided not to care.

I never gave, see his mind's in the grave
The artist has never given up and fought to the end to make sure his/her mind and soul do not end up in the grave.

And most of you niggas praise the ways we was raised
The artist's society and the way of life he/she has lived are often praised by those around him/her but are not desirable in any way.

It must be that weed smoke,
The artist thinks that people like him/her who grew up in such circumstances and with similar values are popular due to people's attraction to drugs like weed that they usually consume.

When most of my niggas need coke, to cope
The artist's friends usually turn to cocaine as a means to cope with life's problems.

With these different strokes
The artist knows that different people in his/her life deal with their struggles differently.

It's murder we wrote, into the project
The artist is aware that his/her life is focused on criminal activities, and that lifestyle pushes people into a world of murder and chaos.

I'm wonderin' if my niggas'll see the site of my death
The artist is concerned if his/her friends will witness his/her death when it finally arrives.

Before it happen, my life is on the edge of my pen
The artist believes that the only thing keeping him/her alive at the moment is that he/she is a writer and can make a life through it.

I'm waitin' to explode countin' to ten,
The artist is waiting to explode and is counting to ten to better understand if now is the right time to act.

Forgive me for all the sin nigga
The artist is asking for forgiveness from the Lord for all the sins he/she has committed.

Why do we live if we're born to die?
The central question of the song asking what the point of living is if everyone is going to die eventually.