[Intro: Joell Ortiz]
Uh
Hmmm
You know we getting this booth and paint it
But sometimes you gotta take your time to grab the brush (You know what I'm sayin'?)
Look at the easel a bit (Word)

[Verse 1: Joell Ortiz]
It's complicated how I came up
You could come up but can't change up (Nah)
Only the soft n***as change top
Rav and I give it up, and get flamed up
Honor on the block, get your name up
My shit rang bells, your shit rang what?
Gold tooth grin, checking my pager
It ain't Kim, but Ice Cube was major
Every night your life's in slight danger
We watching every whip go by (By)
That LP had us so high (High)
Dark chocolate smoke in the sky (Sky)
Dark ENJ had us all fucked up
Guns on tuck and we all with the stuff
You calling on God trying to call my bluff
Long story short, it was rough
That was a short story, I grew up (Here wе go)
Got tired of the sirens and thе cuffs
Tired of the Styrofoam cups
Tired of feeling tired, that's enough (Enough)
I opened up rhyme books I was jottin' in
See the whole hood knew how I got it in
Said "What's up", but no chillin' on the block with them
Booked some studios, started lockin' in, lockin' in
And I wrote my way out that bitch (Hey)
I can't believe I made it out that bitch (Ayy)
Funny thing I got up out that shit
Just by rapping 'bout that shit
[Chorus: Joell Ortiz]
The money went to liquor and guns
Feel like I grew up in a arms race
Made it out by God's grace
I was caught between a rock and a hard place
Just kept rolling, ended up on Boardwalk and Park Place
Ended up on Boardwalk and Park Place
Ended up on Boardwalk and Park Place

[Verse 2: KXNG Crooked]
Standing on the scariest block (I had to get it)
My n***as had a nefarious plot (I was wit' it)
Cops had the area locked (But forget it)
I still hustle and carry a Glock (Can you dig it?)
Can't even tell my mama what I done done (Nah)
Trigger finger squeezing toward her son's thumb (Rah)
Ain't no ducking fades where I come from (Bah-bah-bah)
But when you fighting demons, you could become one (Bah-bah)
Now it's your description on the cops radar
Bodies dropped, folks blame it on the AR (For real)
People never seeing things the way they are (For real)
Instead they just see things the way they are (For real)
Young and dumb, had a bare face with no hair
Still I knew this ain't a fair place and oh yeah
Said a prayer had to share faith and go there
Hoping God ain't built a staircase to nowhere
Forgetting all my sins like I didn't know
Trying to get them people off my back for the rent I own (Facts)
Gather all my shortcomings, put 'em in a poem
Family wonder if I'm growin', maybe this'll show 'em
Drug deals made me think I'd get the lake home
Off keys like piano notes played wrong
I ain't a dealer, I'm a poet, didn't take long
To get the beam of Benz and beat it like a bench song
[Chorus: Joell Ortiz]
The money went to liquor and guns
Feel like I grew up in a arms race
Made it out by God's grace
I was caught between a rock and a hard place
Just kept rolling, ended up on Boardwalk and Park Place
Ended up on Boardwalk and Park Place
Ended up on Boardwalk and Park Place