If you keep the house in the family, you can keep the family in the house
If you on the run, you got family in the South
We used to watch “Annie, Are You Okay?” on the couch
My cousin used to slam me ’til I punched him in the mouth
My aunty used to cook for twenty people every week
My uncle in the basement, even if they never speak
He come up, grab a beer, some time he kiss her on the cheek
Know how to fix a plate, and fix a bike and fix a leak
Fried catfish, bootleg Madea plays
Nosy aunty, like “Let me see your grades”
Smart aunty, like “I could tutor him”
Crazy aunty, like “If they fail him, I’ma shoot at them”
Small donations under false names and pseudonyms
Family pots for school clothes
Get the uniform, not the cool clothes
Havin’ no drip like the pool closed
Least I had a jacket, some of the kids at the school froze
If you not in the buildin’, it’s gettin’ bulldozed
Gotta keep the crib, man
Gotta keep a spot for all the lil’ cousins to live in
Gotta keep a spot in case somebody get sick
‘Cause if one of us get on, then everybody get rich
We gotta stick together
And lookin’ at the puzzle, we gotta fit together
And lookin’ at the struggle, we gotta lift together
And not just on the holidays, we gotta get together
It’s either now or never, gotta get this shit together
[Verse 2]
It’s not the Yacht Club but you should see the waves
When we float through the block club
Neighbors on they yard like they locked up
Kids in the street like Bud Biliken
Old man used to be a Panther, thug militant, community policin’
Barbecue two trays, a Harold’s fifty piece and
Lemon pepper, onion powder, garlic powder seasoning
Four square killa man, slapboxin’, teasin’
Cacklin’, kekeing, crackin’ up, wheezin’
This the homebase
You gotta watch ’em, they’ll right time ya at the wrong place
If you on your celly phone more than a phone case
They’ll take the crib to go, slide on ya home plate
We need CBA, CBA, CBA Barry
Before they build another golf course, library
Or send a eminent domain to Miss Mary
It’s gonna get scary, young Jeffery, young Larry
We gotta stick together
And lookin’ at the puzzle, we gotta fit together
And lookin’ at the struggle, we gotta lift together
And not just on the holidays, we gotta get together
It’s either now or never, gotta get this shit together
Real, real hip-hip hop music from the soul, y’all
Real, real hip-hip hop music from the soul, y’all
Real hip-hip-hop hip-hop music from the soul, y’all
Real hip-hop music from the-from the-from the soul, y’all
(Ahh)
American rapper and singer-songwriter