[Intro] [DJ scratches] [heavy 808]
Yeah…
’80s city nights, cardboard corners
Watch your pockets, watch your heart
Check it—
[Hook]
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
Yeah, give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
You give a little love, now he want the whole stack
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
[Verse 1]
I’m walkin’ down the block with a beat in my head
Gold chain swingin’, Kangol on my head
Man on the corner say, “Yo, spare some change?”
I gave him one coin, now he lookin’ kinda strange
Next thing you know, he want a dollar or two
Then a ride uptown, then your fresh Nike shoes
I’m like hold up, slow up, pump your brakes
I was raised on hustle, not handout takes
[Hook]
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
You give a little slack, now he pullin’ that track
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
[Verse 2]
I ain’t cold-hearted, I know life gets rough
But some folks test kindness, see how far’s enough
Start with “please,” end with “yo, you owe me”
Same sad story, different old homie
Mama said help, but don’t get played
Street rules apply when favors get made
You give an inch, they demand a mile
Turn a good deed into a full-time trial
[Bridge] [spoken, old-school style]
This ain’t about hate, it’s about knowin’ the game
Kind heart, sharp mind—yeah, remember the name
[Hook]
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
Smile turn slick when he sniff that stack
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
[Verse 3]
Boom box bangin’, subway rattlin’ loud
City full of dreams, city full of crowds
Everybody hustlin’, everybody broke
Some sell hope, some just sell a joke
I keep my balance, keep my pockets tight
Help when I can, but I read that sight
’Cause mercy’s power when it’s understood
Not when it’s drained ’til it’s no damn good
[Hook (x2)]
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
Yeah, give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
Give a little bit, now he want the whole pack
Give a bum a crumb and he’ll keep coming back
[Outro]
DJ cut it—rewind that truth
Old school lesson, brand new proof
1980s wisdom, street-corner facts
Give a bum a crumb… and he’ll keep coming back.