Castle Walls

(album: No Mercy - 2010)

[Christina Aguilera:]
Everyone thinks that I have it all
But it's so empty living behind these castle walls
These castle walls
If I should tumble if I should fall
Would any one hear me screaming behind these castle walls
There's no-one here at all, behind these castle walls

[T.I.:]
Observing the estate through the gate from the outside looking in
Bet you would think I got it made, better look again
I got a butler, got a maid, and a mansion
The belief is that I'm living out a millionaire's fantasy
With Phantoms and Ferrari's in the driveway
But you see it came in exchange of a sane man's sanity
Your vision jaded by the Grammys on the mantelpiece
Just switch your camera lenses you would see the agony
Apparently it's damaging the man you see before you
On the canvas he may seem alright but all the disadvantages his family
Encounters overshadows his extravagance
Walk in my nines awhile I dare you, it'll scare you
While it surely seem like the king's life ain't glamorous
As seen through the eyes of untrained amateurs
Because the camera doesn't see beyond the walls of the smiles
Only counts until it falls in the pile

[Christina Aguilera:]
Everyone thinks that I have it all
But it's so empty living behind these castle walls
These castle walls
If I should tumble if I should fall
Would any one hear me screaming behind these castle walls
There's no-one here at all, behind these castle walls

[T.I.:]
Honestly to me, I think I'd lose every benefit of all that I've accomplished
If my kids never win at shit
Me knowing this, why should the verses I have laid
Be more important to me than the persons I have raised
I guess I'm saying that to say that opportunity
But they just don't equate to all the time they take away
From the kids all the shit I did right is a mistake
If deyjah end up a stripper and major slinging yay
How could I ever consider myself a great
If Messiah ain't paid and Nique Nique ain't straight
Would your favorite song about the whips, money and shit
Be relevant if you found out, the money wasn't rich, nope
So me being the G.O.A.T. shouldn't mean more to me
Than see it to a king though
From a badass kid to a man with some dough
Otherwise I may as well have stayed poor
So while they stay focused on me beefing with Flip,
Shawty Lo, Gucci or Ludacris
Or if I'm fucking with a hoe
Did I snitch when I got arrested or will I die over nonsense
Internally I'm dealing with this conflict
So excuse me if I don't get the chance to kiss the hand
That slapp me in the face, ay I'm just a man
If they saying I ain't the best at making hit records
It's 'cause this my life these ain't just rapping
Bet you ain't think it was that deep, did ya dawg
See you can't see the castle through the walls 'til it falls
Bet you ain't thinking it was that deep, did ya dawg
'Cause see you can't see the castle through the walls 'til it falls

[Christina Aguilera:]
Everyone thinks that I have it all
But it's so empty living behind these castle walls
These castle walls
If I should tumble if I should fall
Would any one hear me screaming behind these castle walls
There's no-one here at all, behind these castle walls

Nobody knows I'm all alone
Living in this castle made of stone
They say that money is freedom but I feel trapped inside it all
And while I sit so high up on a throne
I wonder how I can feel this low
On top of the world it's beautiful
But there's no place to fall

[T.I.:]
For the record ay, I give a damn if I never said shit again
My career was meant for me to come and tell it
Honest interpretation of how affected I'm faced with
Matters most rappers choose to keep locked away in the basement
But the day that I walk away I ain't saying that I'm amazing
Down playing the way I kept fellas from catching cases
Won't take into consideration how much it mean what I'm saying
And when I say what I mean even when I'm surrounded by the fakest
From one of the greatest sinners blessed with most of God's graces
Who made his way amongst the greatest from the grimiest places
So next time you rating royalty, I'm always being given to recordings than the level
Of your loyalty, obvious you've been ignoring me
Who else you seen make it through the storm, unharmed disjointed
While all the critics was looking for Prince Charming
Disregarded the king of the south and raised doubt
Even though he made a castle out of what used to be a house
He did shit that all your favorites rappers only rap about
But most of y'all don't see the castle through the walls
And the smiles 'til it falls in piles so while...

[Christina Aguilera:]
Everyone thinks that I have it all
But it's so empty living behind these castle walls
These castle walls
If I should tumble if I should fall
Would any one hear me screaming behind these castle walls
There's no-one here at all, behind these castle walls