

Prompt / Lyrics
[Verse 1] Hot sun on the front steps Two bucks and a dream in the sock drawer Corner-store juice, little bag of chips We were rich for like ten more minutes Mama stretching that pot on the stove Turn one plate into plates for the whole row Couch on the porch, music through the screen door Laughing at the same joke we heard before Cracked hoop with the crate on the pole Three bricks for the free-throw line Hand-me-downs, wrong size on my toes Still felt fresh when we all walked by Sirens in the dark like a lullaby Learned which streets you never cut through Still we played tag under busted street signs Made a whole world out of one or two avenues (yeah) [Chorus] All we had was us, but we made it feel like plenty Turn a dollar to a party, made the empty feel like many Good times in the hood, they still live in my mind We were broke, we were hungry But we learned how to shine All we had was love, all we had was the block (the block) If the lights got cut, we lit the sky with our talk (our talk) Good times in the hood, that’s the gold I keep inside We were poor, we were hurting But we learned how to survive [Verse 2] Old heads on the steps dropping game Tell you what to dodge, what to never claim Seen a homie take a wrong turn, chase fast change We just prayed he’d find his way out that maze Rent late, still the music stayed loud Card table shaking, spades on the ground Kids racing bikes through the fire-hydrant rain Everybody soaked, nobody complained Shared one coat when the winter came mean Split one plate with a plastic fork clean Line at the church for a box of canned beans Still cracked jokes like a sitcom scene (ha) I remember every name on the doorbell row Every “you good?” when my head hung low We ain’t had much, but we had that drive And each other, that’s the reason I’m alive (real talk) [Chorus] All we had was us, but we made it feel like plenty Turn a dollar to a party, made the empty feel like many Good times in the hood, they still live in my mind We were broke, we were hungry But we learned how to shine All we had was love, all we had was the block (the block) If the lights got cut, we lit the sky with our talk (our talk) Good times in the hood, that’s the gold I keep inside We were poor, we were hurting But we learned how to survive [Bridge] Now when I ride back through those streets (those streets) I see kids that look just like me (like me) Hope they know in their hearts, even when it feels hard They can turn every scar to a key [Chorus] All we had was us, but we made it feel like plenty Turn a dollar to a party, made the empty feel like many Good times in the hood, they still live in my mind We were broke, we were hungry But we learned how to shine All we had was love, all we had was the block (the block) If the lights got cut, we lit the sky with our talk (our talk) Good times in the hood, that’s the gold I keep inside We were poor, we were hurting But we learned how to survive (yeah) We were poor, we were hurting But we learned how to survive
Tags
rap, Warm, nostalgic boom-bap with dusty piano loop and crisp drums, male vocals. Verses sit conversational and close-mic’d, light vinyl crackle and subtle bass. Hook blossoms with stacked call-and-response vocals and a sing-rap cadence, tambourine on the backbeat. Final chorus adds doubled lead, subtle choir pad, and a slightly wider stereo image for a triumphant, bittersweet lift.
3:27
No
2/13/2026