Early
Run the Jewels feat. Boots Lyrics

It be feelin' like the life that I’m livin' a man I don't control
I feel like I have no control over the life I'm living

Like every day I’m in a fight for my soul
Every day feels like a struggle to maintain my sense of self

Could it be that my medicine’s the evidence
Is it possible that my medication is being used against me as evidence by the police?

For pigs to stop and frisk me when they rollin' round on patrol?
Do the police use my medication as an excuse to stop and search me?

And ask 'why you’re here?' I just tell 'em cause it is what it is
When they ask why I'm here, I just tell them I live here and it is what it is

I live here and that’s what it is
I live in this neighborhood and that's just the way it is

He chimed 'you got a dime?
He asked if I had any drugs on me

I said 'Man, I’m tryin' to smoke and chill
I told him I just wanted to relax and smoke some marijuana

Please don’t lock me up in front of my kids
I begged him not to arrest me in front of my children

And in front of my wife, man, I ain't got a gun or a knife
I told him I didn't have any weapons on me

You do this and you ruin my life
I warned him that arresting me would have serious consequences for my life

And I apologize if it seems like I got out of line, sir
I apologized for any behavior that may have seemed disrespectful

'Cause I respect the badge and the gun
I acknowledged the power and authority of the police badge and gun

And I pray today ain't the day that you drag me away
I hoped that he wouldn't arrest me that day

Right in front of my beautiful son”
I didn't want my son to witness me getting arrested

And he still put my hands in cuffs, put me in the truck
Despite my pleas, he still arrested me and put me in the back of his police car

When my woman screamed, said 'shut up'
When my partner cried out in protest, he told her to be quiet

Witness with the camera phone on
Someone nearby was filming what was happening with their camera phone

Saw the copper pull a gun and put it on my gorgeous queen
The person filming saw the police officer pull a gun on my partner

As I peered out the window
I looked out the police car window to see what was happening

I could see my other kinfolk and hear my little boy as he screamed
I saw my family members and heard my son screaming in the background

As he ran toward the copper begged him not to hurt his momma
My son begged the police officer not to hurt his mother

'Cause he had her face down on the ground
The police officer had my partner pinned to the ground

And I’d be much too weak to ever speak what I seen
I felt too powerless to speak out about what I witnessed

But my life changed with that sound
The sound of the incident caused a profound change in my life

It be feelin' like the life that I’m living man, I don’t control
My life feels like it's out of my control

'Cause every day I’m in a fight for my soul
I feel like I'm constantly battling to protect my identity and sense of self

All hands below, high seas in a rickety boat
I'm struggling to keep my head above water

Smoke o’s, so the kid might cope
I smoke marijuana to help me handle the stress and trauma of everyday life

You want cash or hope, no clash, matter fact get both
I need both money and hope in order to survive

Go without get turnt to ghosts
If I don't have money or hope, I'll feel like I'm dead inside

You know that's the law, deal done by the shake of claws
The law is enforced through violence and intimidation

It ain't a game if the shit don’t pause
The consequences of breaking the law are very real and serious

And I find you odd, so convinced in the truth of y’all
I find it strange that people can be so convinced that their version of the truth is the only one

That the true truth’s truly gone
The real truth is often hidden or obscured

And yes there's a they, any time a man say there's not
There are always those in power who seek to maintain their position and control over others

Then you know that he lost the plot, what can I say?
If someone denies the existence of those in power, they are not seeing the full picture

Truth’s truth when denied or not, like its true crews ride the cock
The truth remains the truth, even if people try to deny it or ignore it

Fair enough, the way that the beat bump do sound tough
The song has a strong, powerful rhythm

I made it in the dark like Civil War surgery
The song was written under difficult and challenging circumstances, similar to how surgeries were performed in the Civil War era

Woke up in the same air you huff, early
I woke up breathing the same air as everyone else, but my struggles and challenges started early in life

By twelve o’clock the whole Earth felt dirty
Early in the day, everything felt overwhelming and negative

Street Lamps stare when you walk watch the birdie
The lights from street lamps illuminate the streets and make it feel like someone is watching you

They’ll watch you walk to the store they’re recording
Cameras are always watching you, even when you're just going to the store

But didn't record cop when he shot, no warning
Despite all the cameras, no one was there to record when the police officer shot someone without warning

Heard it go pop, might have been two blocks
I heard the gunshot from a distance and wasn't sure exactly where it came from

Heard a kid plus pops watched, cop make girl bleed
I witnessed a child and their parent watching as a police officer caused a girl to bleed

Go to home, go to sleep, up again, early
I just want to go home, sleep, and wake up again to start the next day, even though it's going to be a struggle

Get out, get out, get out, get out
I feel trapped and want to escape

Feeling this, feeling this too early
These emotions and struggles are hitting me too soon

Feeling this way, feeling this way
I can't help but feel this way

Feeling this, feeling this too early
Everything is happening too soon and too fast

Feeling this, feeling this early
My challenges and struggles started early in life

Early, early, early, early
Everything keeps happening too early