Left Hollywood
Meek Mill Lyrics

I had to get out of Hollywood
I needed to leave the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and go back to my roots in the tough neighborhoods where I'm from.

Get back to the trenches, they said they need me
My community needs me to return and help fight the struggles we're facing.

Uh, I used to cop my little reggie tryna feed myself
I used to purchase low-quality marijuana just to survive.

My cousin had that work but I didn't need no help
Although my cousin had drugs, I didn't want to rely on him for help.

Man I was so fucked up I couldn't believe myself
I was in such a bad place mentally that I couldn't believe I had let myself get there.

That's why I be at the jeweler tryna freeze myself
I buy expensive jewelry to show off my success and try to make myself feel better.

'Cause my heart so cold, we ain't got no goals
I am numb to the struggles of my community and we don't have any clear direction for success.

All these young niggas killin' like they ain't got no souls
The violence and crime in my community is out of control, and these young people seem to have no remorse for their actions.

Talkin' Grand Marquis, before I cop my Rolls
I used to dream of owning a Grand Marquis before I could even imagine affording a Rolls Royce.

It was all so sweet until Dashawn told
Everything was going well until I received bad news from someone I trusted.

Really hurt my heart, ripped my feelings apart
The news I received was devastating and emotionally destroyed me.

Out in Philly it's dark, we was really so scarred
In the rough neighborhoods of Philadelphia, we face constant danger and trauma which has left us deeply scarred.

But actin' silly so hard but we just wanted some love
We acted out and engaged in bad behavior because we were looking for love and support that we didn't receive.

Mama workin', daddy dead, I just wanted a hug
My mother works hard to support our family, but without my father, I just wanted someone to show me love and affection.

Why you think we spillin' Spade when we go to the club
We drink and play card games like Spades at the club because it's a way for us to bond and have fun.

All my homies think I smoke, we just rollin' it up
My friends assume I smoke cigarettes, but we're actually just smoking marijuana.

I'm stressed out, niggas got Jordans, feel left out
I feel overwhelmed with stress while others seem to have it easier, just because they can afford expensive shoes like Jordans.

So I went to chasin' them birdies, I went south, fuck it
I turned to pursuing women and engaging in reckless behavior as a way to cope with my problems.

Said I would win, they said I would lose, shit
People doubted my ability to succeed when I first started on this journey.

We're so confused, hope I don't make the news, oh Lord
We have no clear direction and are worried about making headlines for the wrong reasons.

We was breakin' the rules, trappin' to get some food
We were willing to break the law and sell drugs just to make ends meet and put food on the table.

Risking freedom for shoes
We were willing to sacrifice our freedom just to own nice shoes.

Knowin' that I don't need em, I'm spending money on jewels
I am aware that I don't really need expensive jewelry, but I still spend money on it to show off my wealth.

Jeweler like, 'He's a fool'
Even the jewelers recognize that I am foolish for spending so much money on jewelry.

They told us that this was cool
Society taught us that engaging in reckless behavior and spending money on material things was the cool thing to do.

Coppers scoopin' niggas out their radar
The police are targeting and arresting people in our community.

Niggas puttin' niggas in the graveyard
People are dying and being buried at a young age due to the violence in our community.

Jobs told us beat it like an A&R
Jobs and authority figures have told us to leave the area and abandon our community like music producers who reject aspiring artists.

So we play with heart, fuck it we gon' play it raw
We play by our own rules and with passion because we have nothing left to lose.

Cut the lights, told my momma they ain't stayin' off
Since the police are constantly targeting us, we don't even turn on the lights in our homes and try to avoid drawing attention.

They killed my daddy and it turned me to a man, dog
The loss of my father forced me to grow up quickly and become a man.

We play with Rrugers, play with Glocks, we ain't playin ball
Instead of playing sports for fun, we use guns for survival and protection.

Shit we tryna stay alive it's a standoff
We are simply trying to survive and it feels like a constant battle.

My life for your life
We are so accustomed to danger and violence that our lives are constantly at risk.

Go to war like we got like four lives
We are willing to go to war and put our lives on the line as if we have several 'extra lives,' like a video game.

Where I'm from if you turn eighteen, then that's More Life
In my community, just surviving to the age of 18 is seen as a major accomplishment and something to be celebrated.

For real nigga
These struggles are very real and are not just something to be taken lightly or glamorized.

When you have no voice
People from low-income communities are often ignored and don't have a say in the issues that affect them.

Ain't nobody hear us, so we ain't have no choice
Since our voices go unheard, we feel like we have no other option but to resort to violence and crime to make a change.