2007

Our offense is oh so, our defense dominate We got that winning combination To what? To regulate Offense is oh so (forever) Yeah, 2007, Cole dropped The Come Up I was in high school playin' corner I never dreamt of mumblin' words in front of hundreds Studyin' plays all summer I'll hit the league if my growth spurt come in, on my mama 2009, bro dropped The Warm Up I was in warm-ups playin' Weezy And Yukimi, Little Dragon, flame breathin' the weed Patrick had the studio dorm room next to me I freestyled over his beats My nigga Keys transferred in from Tennessee He's a receiver, I played DB like a keeps Snatch a nigga chain, Talib, Talib Kweli I could be lyrically, but I put on cleats Scribbled lines goin' through my mind like a paper piece While I covered three, playin' nickel, doin' safety reads, watch the flats I can rap, but I rather tackle and pedal back Get a pick when my growth spurt hit (it don't matter 'bout the size) I'ma be captain, and I was around 2010, no cap ('cause you're here, right?) I got "Freshman Player of the Year" and figured I was on track This nigga Pat' been in my ear talkin' 'bout rhymin' on tracks So after practice we record and then we got it on wax And on campus I heard about a couple rappers from Atlanta (okay) Said them niggas be snappin', maybe we could make somethin' happen and shit I wasn't serious enough to even be curious And we lose like every game, so every day I be furious So, the spirit of a nigga had changed To the point I had to reframe and focus my skills for other things I took the steel wheel, I'm steerin' in other lanes But my fuel on low and my oil need to be changed Amongst all the other shit that's goin' in my brain My brother got out of jail, I only know him by name He did a nickel and a dime in time, probably be stayin' with my mama And dad probably get mad, actin' lame sometimes, uh Look, The Sideline Story came out September of 2011 Ib said around that time We was huntin' for a record, under lots of pressure Just combine the leverage with a better effort You could find a sound to get us out the underground forever Maybe you can bless a little, brown effervescent kid Youngest of seven from the six, eight sections Section.80 dropped, yeah, we used to play that shit to death And if I recollect correct, you tried to sign him for yourself All the while I was 'round my out of town college, wildin' out Restaurants, Destin dinin', dashin', call it dinin' out Fuckin' bitches, 'posed to be in class, but I was hidin' out My friends take a little shot, smoke a lot of cannabis Coolest nigga on the campus Now nigga skippin' practices and actin' like a rock star Goin' from in the dorm to in the car, leavin' the football field But fuck that, we still sorry, and the problems from the home front On my home screen callin' me, I don't wanna answer My brother, Carl, hit me, said my granny had cancer I'm 'posed to graduate and make my way back to Atlanta No job, no money or nothin' from ballin' Because between that and school, that was really all And maybe here's the back that broke the camel with the straw I wasn't on camera with them amateurs that they saw But they said they still caught me and my dawgs stealin' boxes Like Craig on his day off Called us in the office day before we 'posed to walk, uh Called a squad car, a couple officers I know bruh was finna tell, he was lookin' nauseous Now I'm sittin' in a cell, nigga double crossed us Crossed me off the list for scholarship because I lost it No more football, my red-shirt senior season, exhausted, so I'm off it Then I'm right back in Atlanta with a half a gram of weed And a gold Pontiac that my granny had bought for me I was sleepin' in the back, my dad kicked me in the streets When he saw my neck tatted, then I told him I was rappin' Fuck school, no goin' back, he said If I can not follow his rules, just go and pack Told you he be actin' lame sometimes This my son, he came from these nuts This negro come back from school All tatted up like the Sistine Chapel Talkin' 'bout he ain't playin' football no more Because he know he ain't goin' pro (hey, it's a standard that you left the house) He left on a full scholarship to go to school and get a degree Because we taught education was the number one thing (Every one of you, from your oldest brother) anyway He came back, determined to do what he was determined to do And I know because I know he, he is, who he is, we taught him Hey, whatever you do, put your full self into it (Do it your best, be one hundred, give one hundred) so he did that, anyway He's back home, I ain't with that So I'm sayin', "Hey, you got to go to work" And he sayin', "Hey, this is my job, what I'm about to do" So I'm like, "Hey man, some times you got to work (or don't be a part of it) To do what you really wanna do" We went through this whole brain wrestle But anyway, he won (I understand why you called me lame because) He decided that, "Hey dad, I'm puttin' this thing, I'm doin' this This is my job" and he committed to it (that you can do anything that you wanted to do) And hey, the rest is history, I'm lookin' at him, I believe in him I know what was in him All him and his brothers and sisters They all got the same mindset Do your best, give a hundred percent or don't do it at all So, I know whatever he put his all into, it was gon' be golden Anyway Look March 10th, 2017, The Never Story dropped And I'm comin' off of tour with- That was three years after openin' up for Ab-Soul But it's EARTHGANG's set, I only came to do a song Doeburger used to say, "Ayy bro, this lil' nigga cold Keep on doin' what you doin', you gon' make it, you 'gon blow" I ain't know that Ced had went ahead and played my shit for Cole But I knew he knew the game, and he pulled up to his show And then that's where we first met, but I ain't think of it no more 'Til Ced Brown said that I should open up for Omen on my own shit, if I wanted Only four cities, maybe we get Rob Gibbs on the phone and I got to hone in In the game grown men uncomfortable in they own skin But all I wanted was a chance It feel like I'm in a mannequin challenge Still stance, but I'm still standin' 'Til my nigga lend a hand and I'm no longer stranded Lookin' for strengths in the streets of East Atlanta Mama said, "Don't take advice, they gon' try and take advantage" I was 'bout to sign with Coach K, I ain't take the advance Cole say, "Hold on, wait, bro, I got a plan" So come on, damn, lil' nigga, come on, shit, let's roll, fuck Yo, that's crazy That's crazy, yo, JID, I remember I remember you came to the crib You remember this? After we had met and I told you and EARTHGANG to pull up To the crib in Carolina, it's the studio house I wasn't on no shit, like "Yo, I'm tryna do some Dreamville shit with, y'all", nah It wasn't no talkin', no deal, I didn't even know if I wanted to sign niggas I just knew I, y'all was dope, I fuck with you Just pull up, let's see what the vibe is like, let's work In my mind, if something happen, it happen If not, then cool, niggas just got a chance to link and kick it But while we was there, the thing that I noticed off rip I said, "Oh, this nigga want it, this nigga really want it" That look in your eye, nigga, I know that look I know that look too well But a lot of niggas want it The thing I noticed about you, my nigga, off rip This nigga don't just want it, he willin' to do the work that it takes to get it And that's the difference, that's the separator That's the difference between the niggas that never get what they want And the niggas whose names ring out forever Forever --- 2007 - J. Cole and JID