Blood Sweat and Tears
The D.O.T. Lyrics

Yo, yo c'mon son
Come on and listen up

Yo, they killin' 'em out there, son
People are dying out there

They dyin' out there, son, word up
People are dying and you better listen to me

Yo they killin' us, son, I'm tellin' you
People are killing us and I'm warning you about it

It took me twenty-four years to figure out
It took me a long time to realize

What makes this world go round
What causes the world to function

It?s not man holding ground with dope sound
It's not music that makes the world go round

We gots to ask
We need to question things

Why do you feel that a meal can make you ill
Why do you think food can make you sick?

When you know that broke bill can still
When you know that poverty is a bigger problem

See right through your plastic ass
Realize you're fake

Before crack was a sport and we had thoughts of getting busy
Before drugs became a problem and we had aspirations

Before death left and fame had his way
Before death took people away and fame became all-consuming

The town Brownsville, the place, the ill
The dangerous place called Brownsville

Follow the trail of fresh blood drips
Trace the path left by the fresh blood

You'll end up on my bricks
You'll end up in my hood

The marks, home of the warrior thrown home
A place for brave people who are no longer with us

Our true thugs that's dead and gone
Our real gangsters who are no longer alive

In the hills most effective chrome
The most efficient weapon in the area

Return to these graves
Visit the tombstones

Showin' youngsters what I'm facin'
Telling young people about what troubles them

'Cause we had trouble
Because we faced struggles

We been strugglin' since single shot gauges
We've been struggling since using single-shot guns

That's straight ghetto bad luck
That's just bad luck in the ghetto

But, I done passed up more shit
I've avoided more trouble

Than you may ever touch
More than you can imagine

What, we on sacred grounds
We're in a hallowed place

Without the guidance of our fathers
Without the influence of our fathers

All we know is how to double clutch revolvers
All we know is how to use guns

Me and my own staff flaunt a different path
My group and I choose a different way

I'm tryin' to dip shit minus in your highness
I'm trying to show you the downside of being high

The finest of kickin' half
Being the very best

Honest to god, I'm layin' down my card
I'm being truthful, take it or leave it

It?s been hard, for too many years
It's been difficult for far too long

These three words
Blood, sweat, tears

(Man, got somethin' to say)
I have something to tell you

(We went to the death, we knew he was dead and gone)
Somebody died and we went to their funeral

(We comin' all the way from New York City, hear me out)
We're from New York City, listen to us

Go head nigga
Go ahead and do it

A whole lot changed since my brother left
Things are different since my brother died

(I can feel you, baby)
(I can feel your pain)

And since my mother's death
And since my mother died

But as time past, I could see my life flash
As time went by, my life flashed before my eyes

Leavin' the body and there's no breath
Leaving your body and dying

I chose not to let my Biretta swing
I chose not to kill anyone

'Cause I'm a veteran
Because I'm experienced

And I'm livin' for the better things
I'm living for a better life

It's cold-hearted be
It's a harsh reality

Check the majority of blacks
Look at the majority of black people

They slingin' crack, livin' in poverty
They sell drugs and live in poverty

(True life testament)
(A true story)

What you gotta do is live what your life give
You have to live with what life gives you

And make the best of it
And make the most of it

(Try to see the rest of it)
(Look at the rest of it)

'Cause you could easily fall victim to these streets
Because it's easy to become a victim of the streets

And death's most definite
And death is inevitable

(Blood)
(Referring to the blood shed)

Is for the brothers that died
Is for the brothers who died

The mothers that cried
The mothers who cried for their dead sons

The brothers that tried
The brothers who fought for a better life

All we do is
All we can do

(Sweat)
(Referring to our hard work)

Steady, puttin' to work
Working steadfastly

Handling dirt, holding your turf
Dealing with tough situations and protecting your area

We all shed for the loved ones
We all cry for our lost loved ones

(Tears)
(Referring to our tears)

The thug ones and all deceased peers
Our fellow gang members and dead friends

And while these other cats play hard
While others are pretending to be tough

I'ma praise God
I'm going to give thanks to God

And thank God that I'm here
And be grateful for my life

These three words
Blood, sweat, tears

(Till the break of dawn)
(Until the early morning)

(Birella)
(A firearm)

(Twenty-one gun salute)
(A traditional show of respect for a fallen soldier)

Ghetto nigga, street nigga
People from the inner city

House nigga, we all niggas
Regardless of social status, we're all black

Black on black crime cause niggas drop dimes
Black people confess to crimes and are arrested

You put down yours but I'm?a keep mine
You might give up your gun, but I'm going to keep mine

Uncle Sam don't drop his shit for nobody
The government won't just give you things

So nobody gonna take my shit from me
So nobody is going to take what's mine from me

So while you house niggas is fighting for the limelight
While you privileged people are fighting for fame or attention

I be down here with my niggas
I'll be down here with my people

Underground, dirty
Below the mainstream, not glamorous

Holdin' mine, house nigga
Protecting what's mine

Blood sweat and tears
Hard work and sacrifice