Ups and Downs - K Rino

Yeah, this goes out to the hood

Every hood in every city

I love the hood

Without the hood, who would I be?

I was raised in the dead end, The Park is my hood

Esperanza, King’s Gate, Orleans, Summer Wood

Made mistakes, had breaks, some bad, some good

And I can think of plenty things that I would change if I could

Born broke, came up out the gates stressing a lot

It be so bad it’s hard to focus on the blessing ya got

Blind leading the blind, reason I’m deceiving the mind

Wish I could take the best years of my life and freeze ‘em in time

Friends faking, not there for I remain so low

We dying so fast I don’t hardly feel the pain no more

And when it’s your turn, don’t fear ‘cause we all must go

Just live your life to the fullest and leave it all on the floor

I done had.

You got a dead partner, pour some on the cut for your G

If you could bring him back and ask one question, what would it be?

Be careful how you treat your kids ‘cause the future is theirs

Might be the answer to your prayers or your worst nightmares

Respect mama and daddy, matters what they’ve done

Make peace with them who gave you life, your blessing’ll come

Boys plexing over north, south, west and east

And our ancestors that died can’t even rest in peace

It’s like they gave their life for nothing ‘cause we throwed it away

Just to kill each other, talk down and get blowed everyday

In the hood, roaching and poor hustling, trying to bleed

And when you’re gone from this world, what you gon' leave to your seed?

I done had…

What’s up, boy?

What’s the deal, K?

Man, when you get home?

I’ve been back about two months now, just tryna hold on

I feel that, what you doin' with yourself these days?

Tryna cuff up on some loot but I done ran out of ways

So what’s your plan, what you gon' do, man?

It ain’t no tellin', been looking for jobs but ain’t no love for an ex-felon

Yeah that’s real, dude, the system got the black man stressing

But as long as you got your health and your right mind it’s a blessing

But it’s depressing, I’m tripping, K, man, I tell ya

From the minute I hit the streets they had me set up for failure

I’m on parole, unemployed and arguing with my girl

Being back in jail seems easier than being in the world

I’m ‘bout to jump back in the game, that’s what they want you to do

And don’t you got a son, dog.

Yeah, he just turned 2

Don’t give up, that child needs his daddy, yeah that’s true

Wish I could put you on your feet but man I’m struggling too

Because of.

Now we all got pain that we try to hide

But we wanna keep it by the side

This is dedicated to the ones that died

Although you didn’t make it, Lord knows you tried

I still got love even though you’re gone

Still in the game and I know it’s wrong

Time goes on, it’ll be awhile

I still see you and I see your child

I know somebody feel my pain

Try to keep me down but still I can

Got another chance to reveal my game

Now the only question is, will I change?