INGLEWOOD/3

(album: STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS - 2019)

Imagine being born in a hospital whose doors open up right into a cemetery
How's that for metaphor?
Living behind the jet strip
Where women remove they clothes for tips
What was the alternative? How else they feed their kids?
A den for men that feel no love
From block to block from blood to cuz
And when my dad walked through the door I ain't remember who he was
I was seven, watching riots, while the neighbors rolled them tires
Down the street with Dayton rims
You watched the news, I lived in it
Look at the signs, they say "black owned"
So we gon' leave that shop alone
Burning down the Burger King
The ghetto coming back to take the throne
Then my brother came home bloody
He was trying to keep the peace
Now I hear a whole new meaning when they scream "Fuck the Police!"

When you're lost, I'll find you through twilight in Baldwin Hills
When it's dark, I'll light you, a promise I will fulfill
Nothing's wasted, moments, graces, still my heart
When you're lost, I'll find you on the south side of Inglewood

I grew up in "A Different World" but had a thing for Latin girls
She said "I'm not Hispanic or Latina
I'm Mexican and that's por vida"
Her uncle said "Boy, I don't like ya"
So we would meet on Arbor Vitae
Because I can't take you nowhere yet
All I got is cancelled welfare checks
And I couldn't cross the Lennox line
They'd whoop my ass every time I tried
Ambiguous with the light brown skin
"See I'm like you" I kept telling them
Even if you don't believe me
When the cops come, they still beat me
La Cienega and Hill, yeah, that's where my homeboy got killed
In the alley where they tried to shoot my moms, damn
First time I ever thought to grab a gun, shit
So when y'all was learning violin, see I was learning violence
And when all y'all was learning violin, I was learning violence

When you're lost, I'll find you through twilight in Baldwin Hills
When it's dark, I'll light you, a promise I will fulfill
Nothing's wasted, moments, graces, still my heart
When you're lost, I'll find you on the south side of Inglewood

Centinela Hospital where I was born to die
That is of course as long as it don't get too gentrified
Ain't gotta waste no gas on travel
My corpse will be like ghetto cattle to catapult across the street to that same old cemetery

When you're lost, I'll find you through twilight in Baldwin Hills
When it's dark, I'll light you, a promise I will fulfill
Nothing's wasted, moments, graces, still my heart
When you're lost, I'll find you on the south side of Inglewood

Give me one reason to stay and I will, and I will, yes I will
I'll put my fears on display, yes I will, yes I will, yes I will
You don't want the best for me
You just want the rest of me

How bad, how bad do you want it, want it?
How bad? I'ma show you how to get it
How bad, how bad do you want it, want it?
How bad? I'ma show you how to get it
Oh, fuck, oh

Run straight to the door
Away from everything that you've been dying for
You really think they're ever gonna fuck with you?
That's a price you might pay, but you can't afford
All I know, know, we can't be sure
I'm married to the game like it's mi amor
Go on and hurt me once again, my painful truth
I might take another L, but I knew the score before
You ain't seen the last of me
I just want the world to see
You can fucking have it

How bad, how bad do you want it, want it?
How bad? I'ma show you how to get it
How bad, how bad do you want it, want it?
How bad? I'ma show you how to get it
Motherfucker

You want it bad but you don't really really want the
You want it bad but you ain't really ready for the (Truth)
You want it bad but you don't really really want the
You want it bad but you ain't really ready for the (Truth)
You want it bad huh? (Truth) You want it bad huh? (Truth)
You want it bad huh? (Truth) How bad do? (Truth)
You want it bad huh? (Truth) How bad do? (Truth)
How bad do? (Truth) How bad do you really want it?

How bad?
How bad?
How bad?
How bad do you really want it?
How bad?
How bad?
How bad?
I'ma show you how to get it!