[Intro: Jerry Seinfeld & George Costanza]
Oh so there's still hope?
I don't want hope, hope is killing me
My dream is to become hopeless
When you're hopeless, you don't care
And when you don't care, that indifference
It makes you attractive

[Verse 1: Wale]
Uh, a n***a feelin' hopeless
Uh, who am I to change perception?
If a n***a kill a n***a he's another statistic
If his skin's a little different, they gon' say it was self-defense
N***a feelin' hopeless
Uh, starin' at the idiot box, riddle me this
If a killer was a n***a would n***as still really care
Cause n***as worser than Zimmerman livin' life everywhere
N***as hopeless
Small n***as with big tools
Couldn't get to Harvard, hard work, he hard whipped
Cause them hardy har's and hard nights are hard to live through
When you hopeless
What we gotta do to be winnin'? Cause all the schools gettin' closed
Dribble a little, coach shootin' at a foe
Cause they chargin' them to hoop at community center
My n***a hopeless
25 bands he was shootin', not a damn givin'
Cousin threw a couple grand at some dancers
Throwin' back their fat ass, is my glasses confused?
We're the hopeless
America's dream and nightmare in the same being
Even when being polite here
N***as try to bring me down, the life of a pioneer
Lightyears worth of hopeless
Celebrity celebrating disgusts me
The cerebellum invaded with all these fresh things on
Watchin' "Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta" as we speak
N***a we hopeless
Okay, the Steebie show is on
And so my broad rollin' weed now she's mad at me
Cause she seen a scene with Rasheeda baby father
Said, "You n***as all hopeless"
[Chorus: J. Cole]
Got a pocket full of lint again but it make no difference to me
Fallin' out with my friends again but it make no difference to me
Goddamn I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless
Aw man, I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless
Got no gas in my tank again but it make no difference to me
Overdraft at the bank again but it make no difference to me
Goddamn I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless
Lord knows I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, still I pray

[Verse 2: Wale]
N***a feelin' hopeless
Like a penny with a hole in it
We as empty as a corazón of a widow
From a soul that she don't know when he's comin' home
He don't got no limit, hopeless
What's a purple heart to a hurt head?
He done done 12 years, he was told 6
Prolly go back in a minute, ain't shit here
N***a so hopeless
Thoughts are ravaging in the whole crib
Now he post-traumatic and always on the edge
On the pills, some bills, two kids, one leg
N***a so hopeless
A lot of black cops always clap back
And some foul white cops always on deck
Playin' race card, guarantee you'll make a blackjack
N***a so hopeless
Cause we ain't 'posed to never have shit
And we ain't vocalise rap
N***as cause we don't promote unless we drop hits
N***a hopeless
Look, look at what I go through to show you
N***as respect money, money respect power
And power, we never given unless a n***a catch, shoot or dribble
We are hopeless
Nah, you ain't out here for the culture
You finna riot, without a purpose
You ain't a mothafuckin' rider, you a fuckin' token, posin'
N***a hopeless, of course not literal
But why complain about The Man when a n***a want my skin?
The same problems with them I had is out there killin' n***as too
Eat your food, n***a...
A n***a feeling hopeless
[Chorus: J. Cole]
Got a pocket full of lint again but it make no difference to me
Fallin' out with my friends again but it make no difference to me
Goddamn I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless
Aw man, I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless
Got no gas in my tank again but it make no difference to me
Overdraft at the bank again but it make no difference to me
Goddamn I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless
Lord knows I'm hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, still I pray