Clear up the Smoke

Never been listenin

Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
Now I'm writing life lessons
Where I could've been

Where I should've been
Where I should've been

Yeah

Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
Now I'm writing life lessons
Where I could've been

Where I should've been
Where I should've been

Yo
Y’all feel this

I lived a crime life, far from the limelight
Trial and error made to get my mind right
Rhyme tight, shine bright  don’t wanna go back
Stooped real low but never sold crack

Blew the whole stack, the game made me heartless
The prime ingredients to become an artist
I had to start this, opportunity knocked
I knew I had spark when the community talked

The new in me shocked and hushed all the doubters
Now I signal and connect y’all like routers
Pushed away the powder to make power moves
Larger audiences enjoy how we groove

A role model and I'm shakin' the globe
Invite change and you can break from your phobes
I'm on chance forty‑five, built to survive
Problems seem so far away when we're live

I recall
When it was tough to cope
Hangin' on by the end of the rope
It took years to clear up the smoke
Now I recognize that there is hope

I recall
When it was tough to cope
Hangin' on by the end of the rope
It took years to clear up the smoke
Now I recognize that there is hope

I used to be a criminal
No guilt, no morals
My childhood  I was
In and out of fosters and group homes

Mostly upset 'cause I couldn’t go home
Set me up and made me a psycho
Poverty from Ikey to ICO

Car shoppin’, wreckin’ homes
From bar fights to the studio
Lost my head like my father did
Gettin’ watched by the feds

I didn’t wanna be any drug prophet
Had to fix my own problems
I was strugglin’, times were tough
Been through enough

Do or die on this stuff
Grind your teeth  I’m done with the beef
Like I’m vegan, be a better man
Than I was last weekend

I’m on that good good medicine
Most would benefit
I’m talking to myself
Time to listen

Never been listenin
Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
Now I'm writing life lessons
Where I could've been

Where I should've been
Where I should've been

Yeah

Never been listenin
Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
Now I'm writing life lessons
Where I could've been

Where I should've been
Where I should've been

I recall
When it was tough to cope
Hangin' on by the end of the rope
It took years to clear up the smoke
Now I recognize that there is hope

I recall
When it was tough to cope
Hangin' on by the end of the rope
It took years to clear up the smoke
Now I recognize that there is hope

Never been listenin
Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
Now I'm writing life lessons
Where I could've been

Where I should've been
Where I should've been

Wait  let me get back

Never been listenin
Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
Now I'm writing life lessons
Where I could've been

Where I should've been
Where I should've been

Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
I shoulda been

Never been listenin
When I shoulda been
I shoulda been