The Air That We Breathe

This city used to think that our economy is fine,

housing projects, and high rates of poverty and crime,

New Orleans ghetto drug trades, crack, pistols, rifles,

bang-bang, gang-bangin', they're in an endless cycle,

for the chains, same thang, just tryna maintain,

gang violence, middle class silence, the grain,

you just don't go against, and that's simple and plain,

again and again, I see the pain, drugs rain,

You don't go out at night 'less you wanna die late,

junkie fiends run up on the streets, pupils dilate,

I was living in North Carolina, doin' mathematics,

in my house, nothin' much, just a couple crack addicts,

my family had some struggles, but were never back at it,

even though we were poor, we didn't have bad habits,

but shit, it was another day just straight in the gutter,

then my Mama picked up the phone from my brother,

so we came to get him all the way from North Charlotte,

and he asked if he could stay, his suitcase? Brought it,

rotten teeth and he had the dragon when he took a breath,

plus we lived with them crackers, always cookin' meth,

so I knew somethin' was up, I would find it now or later,

every day in the morning he'd rush over to the neighbors,

and later, he'd return, eyes bloodshot, yellow teeth,

inflamed guys, dilated pupils, out of it, no THC,

he took everything you coulda done, plus marijuana,

and he shot up while Mama worked at the Americana,

once it strangles you, estranged, see, you can't retreat,

the beast is unleashed and keeps you, the air that we breathe