Slump
OutKast Lyrics

Baby gotta eat (gotta eat)
We have to get money to survive.

From front to back street, listen, we on a mission
We are on a mission to make money, even if it means working on the street corner at midnight.

Picture the scene, these fiends with fire
Imagine the scene where addicts are desperate for drugs with an intense longing.

Ten dollar dreams, scheme, for a sack of that, believe that
Drug addicts will do anything to get their fix, even dream of ways to get more money for drugs.

I'm wit whateva like Wheatstraw
I am down for whatever, just like the character Wheatstraw who would always say yes.

Stuck servin' my cocaine raw
I am serving cocaine without cutting it with any other substances.

Drop sixty-two off the brick, jump back
I break off sixty-two grams of cocaine from the larger brick and jump back from the counter to avoid any suspicion.

Slick, we fin' to lick on this corner without gettin' caught
We are going to sell drugs on this corner without getting caught by the police.

But time, keep a sleepin' and money gettin' short
Time is passing and we are not making enough money, which is worrying.

Plus that crooked cop Brock think we blow slangin (fuck him)
That corrupt cop Brock is suspicious of us drug dealing, but we don't care about him.

That why he ride through the hole with the do' swangin'
That's why he drives through the neighborhood with his car door open, trying to intimidate us.

But I make moves, shake them tricks up out they shoestrings
I make strategic moves and outsmart other drug dealers.

Cause life is like shakin' the dice, but I buck back twice
Life is unpredictable like dice, but I fight back twice as hard.

Like five-deuce, fo'-trey, okay
Like a gangster, I am ready to face any challenge.

I'm strictly stressin' dirty dirty
I am constantly stressed in this low-income, dangerous environment.

Gone represent it to the t-top
I represent this lifestyle to the fullest extent, from top to bottom.

Born and bred up on the street top
I was born and raised in this dangerous, impoverished neighborhood.

Get to the money and the sweet spot
I am trying my best to make enough money to reach a comfortable position in life.

And forever hollering, "Hootie Hoo!" when we see cops
We shout 'Hootie Hoo!' whenever we see the police to warn others about their presence.

Shit, cops and robbers niggas be bound to get them dollars and cents
Criminals like us and the police are all trying to make as much money as possible.

They get in a slump like baseball players when they short on they rent
When they don't have enough money to pay rent, they are in a financial slump like a struggling baseball player.

Anything goin you ain't knowin' how much money you spent
We tend to spend money without keeping track of how much we have spent.

But in the real world you surrounded by these ladies and gents
In the real world, we are surrounded by respectable people, unlike in our criminal world.

Who hang around you cause you be buyin' all the weed and all the chicken
People hang around us because we buy them weed and food.

Feedin' everybody, smokin' 'em out
We feed and smoke up everyone who is around us.

When you was broke though they was missin'
When we were broke, these same people were not around.

Now you ridin' bout fo' deep, startin' to tear up your suspension
Now that we have some money, we are driving around with four people in the car and it is starting to damage the suspension.

And your baby mamma on child support, my fault, forget to mention
You forgot to mention that your child's mother is asking you for child support.

You don't even have a checking account wasn't thinking about no pension
You don't even have a bank account and are not thinking about retirement savings.

I used to work at Steak 'N' Ale, Old Gold off in the kitchen
I used to work at Steak 'N' Ale and smoked Old Gold cigarettes when I worked in the kitchen.

Had determination and graduated, now I got the whole rap world fascinated
I was determined to succeed and now I am famous in the world of rap.

I wanted a piece of the pie for me and my family so I made it
I wanted a better life for me and my family, so I worked hard and made it.

Continue to sell dope, it's payin' the bills so you gon' do it
Selling drugs is the only way to make enough money to pay the bills, so we have no choice.

But legislation got this new policy, three strikes and you're ruined
The new law has a policy of three strikes for criminals, and if you get caught three times, your life is ruined.

Now where your crew at? Yeah
Now, where are your friends who used to be around you?

Ay, me and my buddy on the cut and they know we servin' 'em slabs
My friend and I are selling large amounts of drugs and people are aware of it.

We better watch what we doing, and look out for Joe Nab
We need to be careful and watch out for the police.

And quit re-ing up and standing on this same old block
We need to stop restocking drugs and staying on the same street corner.

Before our gangsta ass partner get both of us shot
Before our dangerous partner gets us both killed.

Niggas talking cause they making some flow
People are boasting about making money.

But still ain't did nothing that ain't been done before
They haven't accomplished anything new that hasn't been done before.

You can't be trying to showcase, just put it down for your spot
You shouldn't try to show off, just represent your neighborhood.

And improvise and work with that little you got
Work with what you have and improvise.

So I think when I finish selling my last sack
I am considering quitting drugs after I sell my last stash.

I'ma take some of this money, go and give some back
I am planning to give back to the community with some of the money I have made.

Cause people won't forget about the time you gave, know I'm sayin'?
People will remember the time you gave back to the community.

And start thinking bout a path to pave
I need to start thinking about a new direction for my life.