$outhside Story

On the Amen Corner I stood staring at my former hood A land of Gods where the mosque towers above the ghost of Leon's Barbeque A city of contraband and contradictions The horns of Louis Armstrong wrestle with the devil's While fireworks compete with gunshots on a hot summer night Back in the day, we made the pilgrimage from the Deep South to our Mecca The Southside Yeah, from behind the burglar bars of my mama's back yard I watched as passing cars stopped to trap hard Black Stones in Muslim garb Leaving the mosque from Jummah not far from Minister Farrakhan the students of Master Fard Drive-by shootings, rapid fire uzis, cars bumping the Fugees We smoke loose squares not loosies Home of the Barbershop movies Gunshots left his cap red like a Sufi Storefront churches next to the chicken shop Across the street from the liquor spot That's juxtaposition, ahk Thirty-two shots in my Glock I don't listen to Fox My middle finger to cops, uh Dead opps but we live on these blocks Gram rocks for delivery No electricity, the middle of December but the city be hot The magic and the misery I seen it all vividly, the southside It's just another Southside story The hope, the soul The Folks, the Moe's The Southside Yeah, uh It's just another Southside story Where you at? Staring out the window of the Green Line train I dreamed I'd see my name on the wall I was enthralled by street fame Dope fiends going through withdrawals deep pains White boys shooting Fentanyl in green veins Hood films by DGainz showed the world Chief Keef Bang, many streets the same Bodies fall when the seasons change, as sure as Easter's spring Madea pray for me in Jesus name I don't end up in the hands of the police or slain Sorry granny, I got P's to slang, 'cause I need the Three point liter on the V6 Range Black Jesus with the VV's in the chain Just for relief from the pain of seeing my dog on that dog food tweaking again Reaching, I only feel peace when I'm praying If I could wash my sins I'd sleep in the rain on the Southside It's just another Southside story The hope, the soul We found God in the devil's Bible We thrive in survival We change quarter water to wine We face court orders and fines for gang signs that's tribal Canines devour you, CIA supply you Let every day surprise you We speak truth 'cause we been lied to We make possible out impossible We keep faith 'cause they denied you basic humanity Use the God in me to guide you This the two cities of Chicago One, in a state of illusion The other, the state keep refusing Various resources So the only recourse is to take your pipe to school 'Cause the school to prison pipeline is designed by standardized testing And the disinvestment in the Arts has hardened shorties' hearts So they bang fist to chest and resist arrest He did fifteen months Took fifteen steps, took a nice short breath (Ayy fam, check it out)