Charles Brown

(album: Tee's Coney Island - 2023)

(Helluva made this beat, baby)

Pops and mama went to jail, CB stepped up to the plate
We ain't even have his blood, but he still made sure we straight
He was strict to the point I thought what he felt was hate
Then I realized it was love, he tried to keep us out the way
Him and granny had them old ways, you know they ain't play
They ain't even like our friends, we had to sneak and hang with gang
Only full-time father that I knew, he take the cake
Shit was far from perfect, but he still was right there every day
I used to think the working man was suckers back in the day
But they the ones that get to see they kids walk across the stage
They the ones that die of old age and never hit that cage
Rest in peace CB, I drop tears writing on this page, nigga

I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you, man
You know I'll never forget about you up there
Sure wish you could see this shit now, man, how your baby boy doing
This shit crazy
Nah, for real though
I love you, nigga

Tried to move granny, but that's where she wanna stay
I can't even blame her though, you know? Memories too great
Every time I'm in the city, I go make sure that she straight
Pop up unannounced and she drop tears when she see my face
I just woke up on a jet and it hit me, "Man, I'm really on this motherfucker
I could really own this motherfucker"
Why they hate me? I don't even know them motherfuckers
But I stay prepared and I ain't never scared, Bone Crusher
Gunfights in the streets, I done heard them SIGs pop
Knife fights in the joint, I done heard that skin pop
Told my niggas, "No more going to jail, they giving M's out"
Lawyers paid, sit back, shut your mouth, it's gon' get figured out, my nigga

It's so crazy 'cause it's like
The way I came up was so motherfucking rough and like treacherous, you know?
I ain't gon' sit here and say we was dirt poor 'cause my people were hustlers and shit
But you know it's like, we was still in the slums though, like
It was still fucked up, you feel me? Like
Whatever you feel like a bad environment is, take that, put it in your head and just times that by ten
Like, crib getting shot up, wearing motherfucking your granddad clothes to school
I remember, nigga, I went to school
The kids was talking about me 'cause my shit was French Toast
I'm like, "I'll never wear this shit again"
So I got my grandad work pants, he had Dickies
You cool if you wear some Dickies to that bitch though, you feel me?
I'm grabbing his pants soon as he got off work, take them bitches off, I'm hiding 'em from him, wearing 'em to school
Nigga, I'm talking 'bout
I'm having a full-blown conversation with my pops while he chopping up on a, on a plate
Chopping up crack on a plate, nigga
Teaching me like what's what, how much this cost, how much that cost, I'm twelve years old
But he always told me though, like, "I don't want you to get involved with this shit, man, go to school, stay in school
Like, you gotta make the family name legit," you know?
Now, I look up, I see my son playing by the pool, chef in there making spicy tuna rolls and shit
And I'm like, "How the fuck did it get to this, bro?"
I ain't know what a spicy tuna was, nigga, I thought
That bitch only you mash it up and make it a sandwich, you feel me?
That's how we came up, but
I'm just so grateful, I just thank God so much
Nigga life really went from night to day
No motherfucking cap, anybody that know me, they can vouch for this shit, man
Everybody ain't here with me, but, shit, it is it what is it
I wanna thank people that played major parts though, like in the upbringing, like
I gotta thank Snuggles, gotta thank my auntie Tami
I used to use they crib as getaways to get away from all the madness
Being around them showed me what family was, how family suppose to be
That's why I move how I do now with my family, like with the marriage and just being real close-knit with my family that I'm starting
'Cause back in my crib growing up, everybody was drunk as fuck, fighting twenty-four seven
Shit was just crazy, you know?
Anybody out there going that's through some shit, man
I just want you to know your situation can change, bro
If it's tough right now, understand it's just a chapter in your life, like this ain't the whole book
You writing that motherfucker, so envision what you want it to be
And keep going