The Battlefield
Tre Williams Lyrics

Ayo, i'm back after nine years, that's 36 seasons
The singer has been away for nine years, or 36 seasons, and has returned to find that things have changed.

Shit is changed up for all types of reasons
Things have changed for many different reasons.

Staten island ain't the same, shit is lame
Staten Island is no longer as exciting or interesting as it used to be.

No familiar faces son, i'm dodging the game
The artist does not recognize anyone in the area and is trying to avoid getting involved in anything dangerous.

I want a clean slate, but these cops stay screwin'
The artist wants to start fresh, but the police keep causing problems for him.

Snatching me up off the block, what am I doin'?
The police keep arresting the singer and he is unsure why.

Oh, it's officer dingle and his sidekick berry
The singer recognizes the police officers who keep arresting him.

Driving me around the hood so I could worry
The police are taking the artist on a tour of the neighborhood to intimidate him.

See how fucked up it is there's crackheads on every corner
The artist observes the presence of many addicts in the area.

Kids in the schoolyard smoking marijuana
Children are smoking weed in the schoolyard, which the artist finds disturbing.

I ain't feeling it, this ain't the way I left these blocks
The singer is disappointed by the current state of the neighborhood compared to how it was when he left.

And my name's faded out like some old damn socks
The artist's reputation has decreased over time and is no longer respected as it once was.

I want respect, these streets was my playground once
The singer desires to be respected and remembers a time when he had control over the area.

I was the mack across 110th on these stunts
The singer was once a master at pulling off big risks in the area.

Not once would a nigga test me or gets zesty
No one ever dared to challenge or provoke the singer in the past.

I would walk down the street and sneeze, they all blessed me
The artist was so respected that people would show reverence even to his bodily functions.

Been on the battlefield for a long, long time
The artist has been in a difficult and dangerous situation for a very long time.

I can see life closing in on this old body of mine
The singer is becoming aware of his own mortality and the dangers of his situation.

Yeah, homie, i'm the kingpin called future
The singer now holds a position of authority and power in the area.

Make a killin' in these buildings in the millions
The artist is making a lot of money through illegal means.

Got 'em feeling like brewster
The artist has made others in the area feel powerless compared to him.

Shit hot as fallujah
The artist is in a dangerous and volatile situation.

Kids grown now, they cock rugers
The generation of children in the area has become violent and dangerous.

Welcome back to the sewers
The artist is sarcastically welcoming the listener to the unpleasant reality of the area.

Where new whips maneuver
There are many new and expensive cars being driven around the area.

No kids playing, no safe and sound havens
The area is no longer safe for children or anyone seeking refuge.

There's tre pound cases on the playground pavement
The area is so dangerous that weapons are being left on the ground in the playgrounds.

No more dudes with 22's in their sneaker soles
The weapons people carry in the area have become more advanced and deadly.

Kids tote shit that leave your body with a heap of holes
The weapons used by children in the area are deadly and cause significant damage.

I'm that neighborhood blizzard flooding these streets with snow
The singer is causing chaos and disruption in the area, like a blizzard.

Heavy iron on the ready, my shit'll crease your clothes
The singer is carrying a powerful weapon that is capable of causing significant damage and injury.

Keep a flock of sweetest hoes, yeah, I sleeps with those
The artist has many women at his disposal and is sexually promiscuous.

Little slum young keisha coles with cheaper clothes
The artist has relationships with younger women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Undercovers all around the gutter, they creepin' low
The police are operating in the area and trying to catch criminals.

I stays ahead, kid, I toss bread like pizza dough
The singer always stays one step ahead of others and has a lot of money to throw around.

I keep the tef around my torso with the piece below
The artist carries a firearm on his person for protection.

That bulldog short nose, g be at peace with those, you know
The singer has a particular type of firearm that he is comfortable using and prefers to keep around.

Mama bear was a church woman, pop's skated off
The singer's mother was religious, while his father abandoned him.

I was impaired, an introverted youngin', a lot changed my course
The singer was shy and reserved as a child, and something happened to change his path in life.

From nowhere to my first onion then them cops came
The artist went from having nothing to his name to obtaining drugs to sell before getting caught by the police.

Across flashed the badge, took my stash, told my little ass get lost
The police raided the artist's drug operation, confiscated his drugs, and told him to leave.

Threw me off when my grind was prime time then
The singer was doing serious drug dealing at a high level, but the police disrupted his operation.

You could step on and stretch mine's to a nine times ten
The singer's drugs were of high quality and could be cut with other substances to stretch them out and make more money.

I was gone, remembering though that fine line's thin
The artist got out of the drug game, but recognizes the fine line between success and failure.

So I studied that chessboard and we were all blind men
The artist realized the importance of strategy and planning, but recognizes that everyone in his line of work is blind to some extent.

Dealers ran the streets, but the d's ran them
Drug dealers controlled the streets, but the police had power over them.

I was a killer underneath, but needed expansion
The singer had the potential to be violent and deadly, but wanted to grow and move on from that life.

Something to constitute being high in a coupe
The artist wanted to elevate his lifestyle and be able to afford a high-end sports car.

The cries from my youth so I applied for the suit
The singer was motivated to succeed and leave behind the struggles of his childhood, so he pursued a life of crime that would allow him to do so.

Salute to the enforcer, call me officer now
The singer has risen in the ranks of organized crime and is now known as a powerful enforcer.

Supporter of paraphernalia, I toss it around
The singer sells various drug paraphernalia and is not afraid to be seen with it.

The link to the cartel, costs is down
The artist is connected to a larger drug cartel and has access to cheaper drugs.

It's that denzel in training day shit, caution my grounds
The artist sees himself as a powerful and respected figure, but acknowledges the danger of his situation.