Attitude
Stephen Wiley Lyrics

And there's a, and there's a
There is something important that needs to be said

And there's a, and there's a fine, line
There is a very thin boundary between two opposite things

Too late to pray that I'm on it
I have realized something important too late, but I will take action now

Ya yeah yeah
Expressing agreement and enthusiasm

Y'all, uh huh, y'all
Addressing and acknowledging the audience

There's a fine line between love and hate you see
Love and hate are very similar and can easily be confused

Came way too late but baby I'm on it
I realized something too late but I'm ready to take action now

Can't wait too late but baby I'm on it
I can't let any more time pass before taking action

Can't worry bout, what a nigga think now see
I won't be concerned about the opinions of others

That's Liberation and baby I want it
This mindset is liberating and I desire it

Let me hear it, let me hear it, let me hear those, let me hear those
Asking for audience participation and involvement

Many times I sit back and contemplate
I often reflect on my life

I'm fresh off the dank, but I'm telling my story
I'm speaking honestly and directly from my experience

My relationship, with my folks is give and take
My relationship with my family is a two-way street

And I done took so much, now gimme my glory
I have faced many struggles and now I want recognition for my achievements

To have a choice to be who you wants to be
It's important to have the freedom to be ourselves

It's left up to me, and my momma and 'em told me (yes she did)
I was taught that the choice is mine to make, by my mother and others

No, no, no
Expressing disagreement and frustration

I'm so tired, it's been so long, struggling, hopelessly
I am exhausted from years of difficult challenges with little hope

Seven and forty days, hey
An expression of time passing and weariness

Oh, I sacrifice every breath I breathe
I have given everything to achieve my goals

To make you believe, I'd give my life away
I am willing to do anything to convince you of my message and passion

Oh lord, I'm so tired, I'm so tired
Reiterating exhaustion and expressing a need for rest

My feet feel like I walked most of the road on my own
I feel like I have faced my challenges alone

All on my own, we
Despite feeling alone, I remain a part of something bigger

We alive but we ain't living, that's why I'm giving until it's gone
We exist, but we are not truly living, so I will keep giving until I can give no more

Cause I don't want to be alone (I don't want to be alone)
Emphasizing a desire for connection and community

Is there anything I can say to help you find your way
Asking if there is anything I can do to assist others in their journey

Touch ya soul, make ya whole, the same for you and I
Expressing a desire to heal and empower others, as well as oneself

There's not a minute that goes by that I don't believe
I hold a constant faith and belief in something greater

We can fly. but I can feel it in the wind
Expressing a belief in the human potential to soar higher

The beginning or the end
Acknowledging the possibility of different outcomes

So people keep your head to the sky
Encouraging others to remain hopeful and positive

Shake that load off, shake that load off [Repeat: x16]
Urging oneself to release burdens and move forward

Folk in your face, you're a superstar
Describing the experience of fame and popularity

Niggas hang around cause of who you are
Noting that others may only want to be near for personal gain

You get a lot of love cause of what you got
Acknowledging the role that material possessions can play in success

Say they happy for you but they really not
Realizing that others may not genuinely share in one's joy or success

Sell a lot a' records and you roll a Benz
Describing the success that comes with popularity and material privilege

Fall up in the spot now you losing friends
Expressing the difficulty of maintaining friendships in the face of success and fame

All ya want to do is give the world ya heart
Describing a desire to give back and make a positive impact

Record label trying to make you compromise ya art
Acknowledging the pressures that come with record deals and fame, including sacrificing personal artistic vision

You make a million dollars, make a million mo'
Describing the potential for continued financial success

First class broads treat ya like a nigga po
Describing the disrespectful and dehumanizing treatment experienced in certain contexts

You want to say 'Wait!' but you're scared to ask
Feeling hesitant to speak up for oneself and assert boundaries

Ya world starts spinning and it's moving fast
Feeling like life is happening too quickly to keep up

Ya try to stay sane that's the price of fame
Emphasizing the mental and emotional costs of success and recognition in the public eye

Spending your life trying to numb the pain
Describing the efforts to cope with emotional struggles

Ya shake that load off and sing ya song
Encouraging oneself to let go of burdens and focus on creating and sharing music

Liberate the minds, then you go on home...
Expression a desire to free the minds of listeners before returning to personal life

I must admit, they planted a lot of things
Acknowledging the influence of external factors on one's life

In the brains and the veins of my strain
Expressing the deep and intricate influence of outside forces on oneself and one's community

Makes it hard to refrain, from the host of cocaine
Describing a struggle with addiction and temptation

From them whores, from the flame
Referring to the negative influences of objectification and superficiality

From a post in the game
Acknowledging one's role and responsibilities in a larger system

Makes it hard to maintain focus
Describing the difficulty of staying on track amidst distractions and pressures

Then from the glock rounds and lockdowns and burials
Referencing the violence and death that can result from systemic oppression

The seeds that sow, get devoured by the same locusts
Noting the cyclical nature of harm and destruction

Cause it's a hard row to hoe
Emphasizing the difficulty of navigating oppressive systems

If your ass don't move, and the rain don't fall
Expressing the need for action and change to affect the world

And the ground is dry
Noting the aridity of progress in oppressive systems

But the roots are strong, so some survive
Acknowledging the resilience and strength of communities in the face of oppression

To your surprise, no one voiced their cries
Describing the silent suffering often experienced in oppressive systems

You got more juice than Zeus
Acknowledging one's personal power and influence

Slanging lightning trying to frighten
Describing one's attempt to wield power and control through fear

Plains dwellers, of the Serengeti
Referencing the ways that systems of oppression impact marginalized communities

But get beheaded when you falsely dreaded
Noting the potential danger of being associated with false stereotypes and perceptions

Melanin silicon and collagen injected
Referencing the ways in which we artificially alter and present ourselves

Dissecting my pride, fool I don't want to get it started
Expressing frustration with the ways in which personal identity is reduced and dissected

We be the lionhearted, without a fantasy
Acknowledging the bravery and strength of individuals in the face of adversity

It's like that red sprite, you can't imagine it
Describing something that cannot be fully understood or appreciated without experiencing it oneself

Unless you looking at the canvas of life
Noting that true understanding comes from living and experiencing life

And not through the peephole of mortality
Acknowledging the limitations of lived experience

Single minded mentality
Describing a focused and driven perspective

Getting over on loopholes
Describing ways of taking advantage of loopholes in the system

Getting paid two-fold on technicalities
Acknowledging the ways in which opportunities for profit can be maximized

Clicking your heels, scared to bust how you feel
Feeling hesitant to express oneself for fear of backlash or social disapproval

Pack the steel
Suggesting a need to defend oneself from harm

Picking cotton from the killing fields with no Toto
Referencing the horror of slavery and its continued legacy

I don't we in Kansas no mo' though
Noting the changed nature of the world from traditional symbols and stories

Midwest or Dirty South
Awareness of different regions within the United States

Clean dressed or dirty mouth
Acknowledging the way that external presentation can impact perception

Whether robbing preachers or killing Poor Righteous Teachers
Describing the way that violence and harm can come from multiple directions within a community

You a scared demon
Acknowledging one's own fears and imperfections

Shouldn't be allowed to spread semen
Expressing the belief that those who cause harm should not be able to propagate their beliefs and legacy

And your cowardly lies never defying the jackals of babble
Acknowledging ways in which untruths can contribute to harm within a community

Running with they pack, tail between your legs
Noting the ways in which individuals may give in to pressure or harassment from others

Though the man on your head say the story
Acknowledging the ways in which external factors and power dynamics can impact one's life

As you downplay your glory
Feeling hesitant to acknowledge or celebrate one's accomplishments

Cackling, helping the shackling of your brethren happen
Noting acts of complicity that can contribute to the system of oppression

Just by rapping
Describing the ways in which music and art can shape and influence culture

Liberator
Expressing a desire to free and empower oneself and others