Empire State of Mind
V.A. Lyrics

Let me take you on a trip so you can picture my life
Allow me to guide you through my experiences so you can understand my perspective

Through this south central state of mind
Within this mindset shaped by the struggles and realities of living in South Central

Either you learn from the best and they watch you strive
You either gain wisdom from those who have succeeded and they support your efforts or they monitor your progress

Or you get lost in a roam and get fed with lies
Otherwise, you become aimless and deceived by false narratives

What can I say shit I'm still in the gutter
Honestly, I remain in a difficult situation

Break bread when I can sipping Hen' with my brothers
Sharing what little I have, bonding with close friends over drinks

Tryina figure out a master plan
Attempting to devise a strategic blueprint for success

While we curb serve, smash out let them cops catch us if they fucken can
Engaging in street activities, evading law enforcement to the best of our ability

Don't wanna be stuck like this
I don't want to be trapped in this cycle

With the big fam that I love God knows don't want'em to deal with this
Concerned for the well-being of my large, beloved family, hoping they don't face the same struggles

Pain that us loc's been puttin'em through
The suffering our community has inflicted upon them

Really there's nothing better than you
Truly, there's nothing more valuable than the people I care about

I appreciate my peeps much love out to my loc's
I express gratitude and send love to my friends and community

Im thankful for them days how we chilled as they go
I cherish the moments we spent together, aware that they may not continue forever

A lot homies doing time some dead and gone
Many friends are currently incarcerated or have passed away

Just know loc's with me your memory lives on
Rest assured, their presence and memory remains alive in my heart

Its lil loksta on the move yup I'm always high
Here comes Lil Loksta, constantly in motion and under the influence of drugs

Smoking on that Kush got me feeling right
Consuming marijuana has a positive effect on my state of mind

I can't pretend to know like I roll around like I'm the shit
I can't falsely claim to possess knowledge or superiority

I'm low profiling low profiling low profiling low profiling
I prefer to maintain a discreet, low-key presence

Told my mama I'ma get'er whatever she dreams to get
I assured my mother that I will fulfill her desires and aspirations

I just gotta put my mind together and wait on it
I simply need to focus my thoughts and patiently await the desired outcome

I'm tired of seeing the struggle
I am exhausted from witnessing constant hardship

I'm tired of seeing that you the one that always gotta hustle
I'm weary of observing you being the one who must always strive and work hard

Got a job but that ain't enough for us
Having employment is insufficient to meet our needs

Growing up around here getting used to rough
Being raised in this environment, we become accustomed to the difficulties

Gotta be tough about it rollin around the streets trying to find some lucks
Must maintain a resilient attitude while navigating the streets in search of opportunities

Stay up on the lookout 'cause they watching us
Remain vigilant because we are under constant surveillance

They following us they ain't my homie why they plotting on us?
They are tailing us, but they are not true friends; why are they scheming against us?

Scaling my dads dope just to see the weight
Weighing and distributing the drugs that belonged to my father

I'm trying to find love but all I see is hate
I yearn for affection, but all I encounter is animosity

I knew the cops didn't like us when my uncle hit the gate
I realized the police harbored animosity towards us when my uncle was incarcerated

Raid the pad run to the bathroom to flush the dope and flush that yay
During a police raid, we hastily dispose of the drugs and contraband in the toilet

Take my breath away picturing my life
Reflecting on the hardships I have faced leaves me breathless

Struggling right now we gon' get right
Even though we are currently facing challenges, we will overcome them

Would you miss me? I do this for my little angel
If I were to disappear, would you feel my absence? I persevere for my beloved child

Just to see your smile look I'm truly thankful
I am immensely grateful because witnessing your joy brings me immense happiness

Another from the ghetto thats something I know
I am aware that I come from a disadvantaged neighborhood

This life I live I can't just let it go
I cannot easily abandon the lifestyle I currently lead

All these memories please don't let em go
These memories are precious, I implore them not to fade away

Got love for the fam gotta let them know
I deeply care for my family and I need to express it to them

Got good memories that won't fade away
I possess cherished memories that will endure

Bless my little son take my breath way
My dear son brings me immense joy and overwhelms me with love

I don't care if we struggle we gon' make it through
I am undeterred by the hardships; we will persevere

Never wanna leave thats produced by Ru
I have no intentions of abandoning my family; this sentiment is ingrained in me

19 Years hope that I can weather that
Nineteen years of incarceration awaits me; I hope to endure it

Now my nephews wanna bang that just set us back
Unfortunately, my nephews are enticed by gang culture, which hampers our progress

Now they worry for them stressing all over again
Now, our loved ones are concerned and experiencing distress once more

Now that where grown the kids go continue the trend
Now that we have grown up, the younger generation follows the same path

My sister going through her struggles but we love her
My sister is facing her own challenges, but we support and care for her

So we hustle harder to get up out the gutter
Consequently, we work even harder to escape our tough circumstances

This is just a few years of a long span
These lyrics only represent a portion of a much lengthier period of time

Of pain but its all a part of gods plan
Enduring hardships is part of a greater plan created by a higher power