[Intro]
Yeah
Lil Jon in this thing, what
Dangerous Dan, uh
From the block, from the bus stop
[Verse 1]
Hand-me-down shoes
Ashy knees on the playground dust
Free lunch line, torn backpack
Mama said, "School first, trust"
Hood on fire outside that fence
Sirens sang me to sleep some nights
Pops off work with his eyes all red
Still checked my homework under them lights
Streetball courts, chain-link choir
Late bell ring, we still ran late
Teacher said I had too much mouth
Principal knew me by my name and my face
Walk home deep, five kids, one bike
Cut through alleys, dogs bark, heads on swivel
Laughing loud, black skin shining
Dreams bigger than the whole damn middle
[Chorus]
Still love my mama, yeah, still my hero (what!)
Raised a black son, heart like steel, though (okay!)
Came from the hood, now we full gang, we on (we on!)
Whole lot to love, whole lot to lose, but we strong
Still love my mama, yeah, still my hero
From a small two-room to a big crowd sing-along
Came from the hood, now we full gang, we on
Whole lot to love, whole lot to lose, but we strong (yeah!)
[Verse 2]
Dangerous Dan with the braids back then
Note in class, "You gon’ ride or what?"
Lil Jon crashing at my crib some nights
Mama cooked two plates, told us, "Both toughen up"
She ain’t play games, she ain’t play sleep
Curfew hit, better beat them streets
If a shot rang out, phone rang too
"Boy, pick up, where you at? Lemme see"
Now the gang all here at the cookout table
Same boys from the schoolyard beefs
Used to fight each other at the flagpole
Now we toast plastic cups, same team
Got girls laughing in my old front yard
Kids running where we used to plot
Mama in the chair with her house shoes on
Looking at us like, "Y’all made it out a lot"
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
From the back row desk to the back row booth (yeah)
Black boy joy, black boy truth
Tattoos, scars, but my heart still hers
She the one I call when the world feels cursed
Full gang now, but she first in line
Every win I got, she behind that grind
Hood made us hard, but she made us kind
Mama still the reason that we still shine
[Chorus]