Me and My
Mr. Given Raw Lyrics

You know sometimes you just got to tell the truth
It can be difficult, but there are times when telling the truth is necessary.

Sometimes the truth hurts
Telling the truth can be painful.

Man my hood don't love me had me on the corner no protective armor
The neighborhood I grew up in didn't offer me protection, leaving me vulnerable on the streets.

Niggas wanna harm us all they gotta do is roll up
Anyone looking to hurt us can simply drive up and attack us without consequence.

Shooting gallery and we don't even get a salary
Our neighborhood is like a shooting gallery, with no financial compensation for the danger we face every day.

The causalities are causing me to check my very pedigree
The number of people dying on our streets has me questioning my own ancestry and the legacy I leave behind.

The same mothafuckas showed me how to rock da yay
The same people who taught me how to sell drugs are now a potential threat to my life.

Might be the same nigga coming wit some pistol play
Someone I used to trust may now be planning to harm me with a gun.

So I gotta play the cards that I was dealt no matter how I feel about you
I have to accept the situation I'm in, regardless of any negative feelings I have toward others involved.

Throw them bullets right back at you
If someone tries to harm me, I will defend myself and fight back.

Mean muggin' like a statue face won't even move an inch
I will show no fear or weakness, and will remain expressionless in the face of danger.

In my city niggas petty kill you for an ugly bitch
In my city, people will kill you over something as trivial as a disagreement with a woman.

Kill you ova half a dolla' or a bitch that's tryin' to holla
People in my community are willing to kill over small amounts of money or for attention from a woman.

So I hop in the Impala another day another dolla'
I get in my car and go back to my routine of trying to make a living no matter the danger involved.

Man my hood don't love me but gave me what I needed to live
The neighborhood that doesn't care about me still provided me with the resources I needed to survive.

And the positive outweighed the negative on the scale
Despite the dangers and challenges faced, the good in my neighborhood made it worth living there.

Gave me more than dope to sell and trips to jail
My upbringing granted me with more than just illegal activities and jail time.

All I give you is a sample of examples so you don't get trampled
I share my experiences to help others avoid falling victim to the dangers of my community.

By the animals of wildlife
Referring to violent members of society as wild animals.

It's so dense I know it's sounding like I'm on a pulpit
The problems in my community are so complex that it may sound like I'm preaching from a pulpit.

I wanna lengthen your life without the Bible
I want to inspire others to live a better life without relying on religion to guide their moral compass.

Lessons in revival now you're liable to push and pull
Through my experiences, I hope to motivate others to change and take control of their lives.

Not a liar when I say I love my hood cause it showed me that I could be me
I genuinely love my neighborhood for showing me that I can be true to myself and overcome challenges.

And love something that never loved me
I love my neighborhood despite the fact that it never reciprocated that love to me.

I prevailed from it
Despite the odds, I emerged victorious and overcame the obstacles of my neighborhood.