Testify

I remember wakin' up, being broke
But still it wasn't breakin' us
I remember why I broke the rules,
Cuz I ain't really have nobody to look up to
I remember cuttin' class, bein' bad,
Cuz I ain't have what them other kids had
I remember wishin' that I knew my dad,
Then I remember wishin' I could get him back
For every single night that he told me he was comin' and he didn't,
For every single dollar that my mama 'nem was missin'
For every thing I wanted and was told I couldn't get it,
And that I had to face it that my daddy was addicted (damn)
That's right it wasn't easy growin' up,
Mama was exposin' us to life as she knew it
So we all went through it,
I remember bein' down and out, sleepin', on my homie's couch
In & outta trouble ever since my mama put me out

Damn it's getting real, damn it's getting real
Didn't graduate, I'm thinking damn I gotta deal
So I hit da block, selling rocks just to eat a meal
So I grabbed da Glock, kept it cocked
Peace is being still

In da back of da tracks, my nigga's stayed wit da packs
And if a nigga was schemin', my brotha stayed with tha gat
Yea, yea we stayed in da trap, yea everyday in da trap
These ho's was chasin' da cheese, so we would stay wit da rat's
And we was ridin' down, dippin' low, I stayed in da back
In the X5 stuntin', we ain't know how to act
Spendin' money like it's nothin', cuz we gone get it back
17 never thought that I'd be gettin' dem racks,
Had a dream but I said I wasn't fuckin' wit that
Mel told me I would make it, I ain't fuckin' wit that
But he told me that it wouldn't hurt to give it a try
Hardest thing out in New Orleans never see 25

Right then I woke up, broke out, told my nigga's had to roll out,
Moved to the A and got motivated, that inspiration don't run out
Heard my brother got gunned down and it hurt me to my heart,
So I kept grindin', I kept pushin', he told me to go far
So I can't stop at no crib, can't stop at no car,
Gotta keep going like there ain't no tomorrow
So I'm goin' hard everyday, 'til I got nothin' to say, nothin' can stand in my way,
I gotta stay, to show my nigga's a different way

Imma tell da truth and da whole truth,
Cuz there ain't no need to lie
And I ain't tryna keep it all inside,
So I gotta testify
For you and I, I testify

Imma tell da truth and da whole truth,
Cuz there ain't no need to lie
And I ain't tryna keep it all inside,
So I gotta testify
For you and I, I testify

Imma tell da truth and da whole truth,
Cuz there ain't no need to lie
And I ain't tryna keep it all inside,
So I gotta testify
For you and I, I testify

Imma tell da truth and da whole truth,
Cuz there ain't no need to lie
And I ain't tryna keep it all inside,
So I gotta testify
For you and I, I testify

I testify, I testify