PTSD

**[Intro – spoken, low over vinyl crackle]**  
Yo... I used to chase that powder burn, that metal tang in the air  
Now it haunts my dreams, got me sweatin' in the chair  
Time to flip the page, fam... let's go...

**[Chorus – call & response style, group vocals]**  
I used to love the gun smell, now I got that P-T-S-D  
Put the shit down, pick up the Good Book, set my spirit free  
Stop shootin' kids, start shootin' the shit with yo' niggas  
No more violence in cold blood, bring back friendships, we figures  
Let's flip the script, start a new play  
Peace over the streets, let the old ways decay  

**[Verse 1]**  
Back in the day I was strapped, nickel-plated dreams  
Loved that cordite cloud, felt like power in my jeans  
One pull of the trigger, whole block would freeze  
But every pop left echoes, brought my brothers to their knees  
Nights I wake up screamin', shadows on the wall  
Ghosts of young faces, hear they mama call  
PTSD got me trippin', can't even hold the steel  
Hands shake like leaves, man, this pain too real  
Used to think the burner made me king of the strip  
Now I see the reaper laughin' with every clip  
Empty shells on the pavement, stories never told  
Young bloods dyin' young, futures bought and sold  

**[Chorus]**  
I used to love the gun smell, now I got that P-T-S-D  
Put the shit down, pick up the Good Book, set my spirit free  
Stop shootin' kids, start shootin' the shit with yo' niggas  
No more violence in cold blood, bring back friendships, we figures  
Let's flip the script, start a new play  
Peace over the streets, let the old ways decay  

**[Verse 2]**  
So I laid the Glock down, rusty on the shelf  
Picked up Matthew, Mark, Luke, John—found myself  
"Thou shalt not kill," hit different when you lived it  
Devil had me twisted, now I'm tryin' to untwist it  
No more beefin' over blocks, colors, sets or turf  
We was built for more than funerals and hearse  
Remember when we laughed, played ball till the streetlights?  
Now it's sirens every night, mamas losin' sleep tight  
Let's rebuild the cypher, talk it out instead  
Shoot the breeze with brothers, not bullets to the head  
Forgive the past scars, let the healing begin  
Turn enemies to kin, let the love flood in  

**[Bridge – slower, almost spoken word over minimal drums]**  
Cold blood ran too long in these veins of mine  
But the Word says mercy, says leave it behind  
No more caskets for kids who ain't even grown  
Time to plant seeds where the violence was sown  

**[Chorus – final, layered & ad-libs]**  
I used to love the gun smell, now I got that P-T-S-D (no more!)  
Put the shit down, pick up the Good Book, set my spirit free (yeah!)  
Stop shootin' kids, start shootin' the shit with yo' niggas (talk to 'em!)  
No more violence in cold blood, bring back friendships, we figures (real talk)  
Let's flip the script, start a new play (new day!)  
Peace over the streets, let the old ways decay (decay!)  

*[Outro – fading scratches & samples]*

Here's An Old-School Hip-Hop Style Track Inspired By Your Concept—Think 80S/90S Conscious Rap Vibes Like-One, Boogie