[Verse 1]
I grew up where the cops came late
Mom said, “pray” but the rent said “hate”
Uncle in a cell for a small-time case
Judge got rich while he drained our faith
My sis on the blade just to feed her kid
Whole block know what the landlord did
Eviction note on the busted door
We ain’t monsters
we’re just poor
[Chorus]
World point fingers, say it’s all our fault
Blame our color, blame our block, call the whole thing “fault”
But we broke and bleeding, screaming, breathing
You see crime
I see a house that’s freezing
You see “them”
I see a system cheating
Broke and bleeding
broke and bleeding
[Verse 2]
Teacher said “you’ll be dead by twenty”
Smirked when I said “I’ma touch real money”
News say “thug” every time we snap
Never say “hungry,” never say “trapped”
You count pennies, you count stats
I count days they cut our stamps
We ain’t your slurs, ain’t your headlines, fool
We the kids that you failed in school
[Chorus]
World point fingers, say it’s all our fault
Blame our color, blame our block, call the whole thing “fault”
But we broke and bleeding, screaming, breathing
You see crime
I see a house that’s freezing
You see “them”
I see a system cheating
Broke and bleeding
broke and bleeding
[Bridge]
I’m mad at the chains, not the hands that wear ‘em (yeah)
Mad at the game and the ones who cheer it
Turn that rage at the ones who lie
Not the neighbors fighting just to stay alive
[Chorus]
World point fingers, say it’s all our fault
Blame our color, blame our block, call the whole thing “fault”
But we broke and bleeding, screaming, breathing
You see crime
I see a house that’s freezing
You see “them”
I see a system cheating
Broke and bleeding
broke and bleeding (hey)
broke and bleeding