J Cole - The Off-Season Album Lyrics

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95 south

[Cam'ron (J. Cole):]
Killa, it's The Off-Season
Let's keep it tall, y'all ain't f*ckin' with my man
And don't check your watch, you know the time
Cole World, Killa Cam', niggas is f*ckin' finished (Yeah)

[J. Cole:]
This shit too easy for me now
Nigga, Cole been goin' plat' since back when CDs was around
What you sold, I tripled that, I can't believe these f*ckin' clowns
Look how everybody clappin' when your thirty-song album do a measly hundred thou'
If I'm bettin' on myself, then I'll completely double down
If you hated on a nigga, please don't greet me with a pound
I be stayin' out the way, but if the beef do come around
Could put a M right on your head, you Luigi brother now
Trace my steps all in this game, you could see we cover ground
Back and forth from NC to New York when Jeezy had the crown
Vivid memories, niggas start to squeeze, we duckin' down
So many shells left on the ground, it make the Easter Bunny proud
I get up, dust my clothes off, sleep is the cousin of death
No plans to doze off, the streets, it don't come with a ref
I never sold soft, just creeped where the hustlers crept
And got they O's off, you reach, niggas uppin' like Steph
To blow your nose off, gesundheit, and then resume flight
As if it never happened, shit we witnessed full of so much sickness
Angels sheddin' tears in Heaven, word to Eric Clapton
Off this clever rapping, bitch, my pockets gon' forever fatten

They gon' forever fatten
[Cam'ron:]
See, we tried to tell niggas
They act like they don't even f*ckin' speak English

[J. Cole:]
Bitch, my pen to the paper's lethal
I'm sendin' 'em straight to meet the
The nigga that made them peep the reaper
Creepin' on ya, the scent of failure reekin' on ya
Check your genitalia, pussy-niggas bleedin' on yourself
F*ckin' with Cole is bold, but it's impedin' on your health
All yo' niggas eatin' off your wealth
All my niggas feedin' all they selves, and it feels swell
Krispy Kreme dreams, sometime my dawgs wanna kill twelve (Uh)
'Cause they steady harassin'
We seen dilemmas like Nelly and Kelly that end in the deadliest fashion
My young niggas nutty, they blastin'
Bullets be hummin' like Cudi but one of yo' hoodies Spaghetti-O splashin'
All over the driveway, y'all talkin' all sideways
Shots poppin' off, y'all laid down
Cops chalkin' off y'all legs now
(Shit) God watchin', "Hey, Yahweh"
My niggas looked up to the sky like we sendin' it y'all way (Y'all way)
We sendin' it y'all way (Y'all way)

[Cam'ron:]
That's what the f*ck I'm talkin' 'bout
Y'all see what the f*ck goin' on out here (Killa, Harlem)
I-95 shit, Carolina, 2-6, stand up, nigga

[Lil Jon:]
Put your hood up
Put your hood up
Put your hood up
Put your hood up
Put your clique up
Put your clique up
Put your clique up
Put your clique up
Represent your shit, motherf*cker
Represent your shit, motherf*cker
Represent your clique, motherf*cker
Represent your clique, motherf*cker
If you scared to throw it up, get the f*ck out the club
If you scared to throw it up, get the f*ck out the club

---

amari

Bada-ba, bada-ba
Bada-ba, da-da
Off-Season
Let's work, hey

Plottin' my escape, this game ride a nigga's faith
Got a couple M's hidin' in the safe
Imagination turned a Honda into Wraith
I was doin' eighty on the interstate
Tryna make it back before my class started
Country nigga never seen a passport
'Til I popped off and got a bag for it
Now I'm at the Garden sittin' half court
Watchin' Jr. catch it off the backboard
'Ville nigga never seen nothing
'Cept a f*cking triple bean jumping
Good dope leave a fiend krumping
Made it out, it gotta mean something

Either you gon' hustle hard or, nigga, Uncle Sam got yo' ass re-enlisting
2-6, murder scene pumping
Better leave it tucked if ye' ain't dumping
Pow, pow, nigga, he slumpy
Twelve comin', we ain't seen nothing
Time change, niggas ain't rumblin' no more
Nah, what for? Hungry for more
If you solo these vocals, listen close and you can hear grumbling
Bow tie and I'm still munching
Big bag, never fear fumbling
Want smoke? Nigga don't choke
I'm a whole f*ckin' nicotine company
Dreamville the Army, not a Navy
How could you ever try to play me?
Kill 'em on a song, walk up out the booth, do the Westbrook rock-a-baby
I never fall out with the bro
Hate when your family turn into foe
We had a penthouse on the road
Interior decorated with the hoes
Just like a multiple-choice getting chose
My niggas like "Eenie, meenie, minee, moe"
Scoop up a dime-piece like we homeless
Then we gon' send 'em back pigeon-toed
Out of the concrete was a rose and windows was cold
Had to go over and stand by the stove
We from the Southeast, niggas know
This where the opps creep real slow
Won't vote but they mob deep with the poles
I punch the time sheet, not no more
And now my assigned seat is a throne

Plottin' my escape, this game ride a nigga's faith
Got a couple M's hidin' in the safe
Imagination turned a Honda into Wraith
I was doin' eighty on the interstate
Tryna make it back before my class started
Country nigga never seen a passport
'Til I popped off and got a bag for it
Now I'm at the Garden sittin' half court
Watchin' Jr. catch it off the backboard
'Ville nigga never seen nothing
'Cept a f*cking triple bean jumping
Good dope leave a fiend krumping
Made it out, it gotta mean something
Made it out, it gotta mean something
Made it out, it gotta mean something

Bada-ba, bada-ba, bada-ba, ah-ah

---

my life

(feat. Morray, 21 Savage)

[J. Cole:]
Oh, you came there, God
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, Lord
No matter how, no matter how long it take, yeah
No matter how long it take, nigga
Oh, God, yeah
You better be

Spiralin' up, just like a rich nigga staircase (Spiral up)
No fly zone, please stay the f*ck out my airspace (Out my face)
Niggas say things behind backs that they wouldn't dare say (Dare say)
Know it's on sight when I see you, I'm workin' at Squarespace
Yeah, top of the mornin', I know that you thought I was dormant
Woke up early from shots that were swarmin'
A block full of opps, now the cops in an orbit
Guess somebody got popped, now they knockin' on doors
Tryna find an informant but I ain't see nathin'
I'm mindin' my business as God is my witness
No weapon gon' prosper that's formin' against me
Nigga, I'm starvin', immensely
Know when I'm done with these songs, you gon' miss me
Ja Morant, I'm on my Grizzly
You niggas just cubs but no, not the ones in the big leagues
After The Fall Off, I promise I'm comin' to sellin' out Wrigley's
Nigga, I'm just a product of poverty, full of narcotics to profit off quickly
My family tree got a history of users that struggle with demons
Not really the hustler instincts
Therefore, often, my pockets was empty
So while some of my partners was servin' up rocks on the corners, the project assemblies
Me, I was startin' to envy, wanna be on the top where it's plenty
Wanna be in the spot like where every bitch want me like Rihanna droppin' new Fenty
What I see in the sky, the 'Ville is the ceilin', can't reach up too high, evidently
Nah, shit, I can't reach up too high, evidently
Never seen no one drivin' a Bentley
I can't be out here moppin' up Wendys

[Morray & J. Cole:]
My life is all I have
My rhymes, my pen, my pad
And I done made it out the struggle, don't judge me
What you sayin' now won't budge me
'Cause where I come from (Come from), so often (So often)
People you grow up with layin' in a coffin
But I done made it through the pain and strife
It's my time now, my world, my life, my life

[21 Savage:]
Say what? The stuff that I've seen got me traumatized
I let the K go when Johnny died
Swangin' that muhf*cka' side to side
We don't participate, ain't with that squashin' shit, all we believe in is homicide
I got a good heart, so I send teddy bears every time we make they mommas cry
I pray that my past ain't ahead of me (21)
When I'm in love, I love heavily (On God)
If you betray me, you dead to me (21)
I disrespect you respectfully (Straight up)
I got some partners who left this Earth
Maybe the pain made a better me (On God)
Just know that they secrets is kept with them (On God)
I feel like the streets is in debt with me (Straight up)
I gave my heart away to all the dawg hoes 'cause that's who accepted me (21)
I blame my pops for that shit 'cause if he didn't fail, he could've corrected me (21)
Give all the props to my momma 'cause no matter what, she always protected me (On God)
I promise you, it ain't no checkin' me (On God)
Jump in the water, get wet with me (Straight up, 21, 21)
You want my money or wanna have sex with me?
Can't let the opps or the law get the best of me
I get to answerin', you get to textin' me
I see chicken, you niggas is breast to me
Planted a seed but it ain't a sesame
Can't let you niggas or bitches grow next to me

[Morray & J. Cole:]
My life is all I have
My rhymes, my pen, my pad
And I done made it out the struggle, don't judge me
What you sayin' now won't budge me
'Cause where I come from (Come from), so often (So often)
People you grow up with layin' in a coffin
But I done made it through the pain and strife
It's my time now, my world, my life, my life

---

applying pressure

Yeah (Yeah)
Yeah, nigga (One two, one two, one)
The Off-Season (One two, one two, one two, one)
The Off-Season, nigga
We off of niggas (Ayy, that's right)
F*ck you talkin' 'bout? (That's right, ayy)
Off of niggas (Yeah, hey, yeah)
(Vocal up a little more, hey)

Uh, applying pressure
Started my grind where crime festers
And now it's showing like they in they second trimesters (Pregnant)
That's why when nigga's throw a shot or two online
I pay no mind to their benign gestures (Mm)
Nigga, please, I got my mind on much bigger things to say the least
My latest beat just sound like they was released by David East (What up East?)
Verses hit hard, never pitched hard or played the streets
These niggas whips hard, behind closed doors, can't pay the lease (Uh)
Ain't nothin' wrong with livin' check to check 'cause most have to (I understand that)
Instead of cappin', why don't you talk about being a broke rapper? (I don't understand that)
That's a perspective I respect because it's real
What it's like to be nice as f*ck but got to stress to pay the bills
That was me in '08, seein' no cake
Not even on dates or celebrated my birth
Just did the mental math and calculated my worth
Shit crazy, didn't know I got more M's than a real Slim Shady video
(How many of us in here?)
Big Boss, less Rick Ross, more like a wavy Hideo
Kojima, they tote steamers around the way we tippy-toe
'Round crack vials and cold-blooded killers, no reptiles
Just projectiles, from niggas salty you rockin' the fresher textiles
I seen best pals grow up and switch (I hate to see it)
Sometimes over a couple dollars, more often over a bitch (Ah, I hate to see it)
I can cap and say that I never scratched my jealousy's itch
But thank God I conquered that 'cause if not I'd never be rich
Envy, keep your pockets empty, so just focus on you
If you broke and clownin' a millionaire, the joke is on you
Money ain't everything, I never say that (Never)
But niggas throw stones knowin' they sell soul to get wherever they at (Come on, man)
Just know these verses is some shit they gon' forever playback, nigga (Come on, nigga)

Hell yeah (Ooh)
F*ck, you know what it is nigga
Don't even dare
Niggas try to act like they don't-, bitch
That's why I gotta flex sometimes
'Cause niggas just try to act like you just not that motherf*ckin' nigga like
Like you just really don't do it how you do it
Like niggas will really try to act like you don't do what you do
Nigga look you dead in your face
And really act like you don't do it to the level that you do it
That's why sometimes you gotta come through
And just do it at the level that you do it in front of every nigga face
So they know the difference between you, the real niggas
And the mothaf*ckin' fraudulent niggas, man
Don't never get it f*cked up
If a nigga can't do it like you do it
Sometimes you gotta do it in front of his f*ckin' face so he'll know forever
Damn, that nigga did it how I always wanted to do it
And I'll never be able to do it like that
Bitch it's a difference (Ah)
(These are the same ones telling our people what we are
And we aren't because we're just not working hard enough
And that mentality is what we're up against today
But this is good to know because this time, when we march on the Capitol
You can go ahead and let 'em know long before we get there
We're coming to get that check)

---

punchin' the clock

[(J. Cole) & Damian Lillard:]
It ain't nothing I want more
Ain't nothing I want more
I ain't c-
I told you, when I first came here, I said, "I ain't come here to waste my time"
I came here
They gave us a chance to get in, like we asked for
And that's, that's what we here to do
(Yeah, nigga, 26)
The job still ain't done
(Straight up)
But I, I said, "You, you know what I'm here for"

[J. Cole:]
Back on top, punchin' the clock, clutchin' sanity
I got more cribs than Habitat for Humanity
Shit profound, we propagating more profanity
Paid off collections from recollections of calamity (Oh shit, look, that nigga gonna shoot)
The shit pop off, I learned to duck under the canopy (Oh shit, run, nigga, run)
'Til it cool off, they murked a nigga right in front of me
Told him to come off his chain for tryna floss
Died over a cross just like the start of Christianity
When I was a boy, the teacher often reprimanded me (Jermaine)
Thought it was toys, it was a Glock this nigga handed me
I busted the trees, was barely strong enough to squeeze
Bullets traveled through leaves, it probably killed somebody randomly
Ran in the crib and played it off amongst the family
Nightmare scenes, the police finally apprehended me
Woke up screamin', seen a demon had his hand on me
Still sport the scar on my arm from where he branded me
Like a Que Dog, my niggas burnin' with the mute off
Loud pack smoke through the cracks, I catch a contact
Triggerin' a paranoid mindset, now I'm back
Teeterin' between enlightened and insanity
Now that I'm rich, I feel nobody understandin' me
All I can do is cut the mic on, holler at you
Can't let the fame scare me off from speaking candidly
All them niggas is so Kane, they started singin' like Danity
Now I'm left here, paid like I planned to be, damn

[Damian Lillard:]
A lot of times, those situations are, um, are handled way before the time comes
In the summer, I think when you truly prepare yourself, and
With training and conditioning, and things like that
When you cheat yourself, you fail in those moments
You know, you crash, and when you really put the time in and
Whether people see it, or whether people know it or not
You know, it always come to light

---

100 mil'

How come a nigga ain't enter his prime?
Still gettin' better after all this time
These niggas say that they killers, they lyin'
Only thing I see 'em killin' is time

One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind

Never peddled rock, never said a lot, only what need to be said
Got a little guap, when you get a lot, won't no bitch leave you on read
Don't push me, nigga, my feet on the ledge
This game is like follow the leader, if you looking closely enough, then you'll see that I led
The moves that I made, the people I fed, the evil I ducked
They minds is too feeble, they lean on they crutch
I'm bleeding from fighting my demons head up
When I get defeated, believe I get up
I come from a city most niggas ain't heard of until they popped in my first CD, now look
I'm on that Mount Rushmore, you niggas can't front no more, bitch, I'ma reign until FEMA show up
When shots got to ringing, like freedom, I ducked
E&J fell out my cup
Them bullets fly by, that shit sober you up
I'm proud of my niggas, they never switched up
Don't care if it's Michael B. Jordan that's calling my woman to f*ck, she ain't gon' never pick up
Sadly, I can't say the same for you niggas
A couple of dollars be changing you niggas
I pray for you niggas, but

How come a nigga ain't enter his prime?
Still gettin' better after all this time
These niggas say that they killers, they lyin'
Only thing I see them killing is time

One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the, uh

It's not 'bout the money, it's more about time
Shit makes sense when you see how I spend mine
Burst through the ceiling, I'm feeling sublime
Can't leave the game yet, I feel like LeBron

One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the, uh

How come a nigga ain't enter his prime?
Still gettin' better after all this time
These niggas say that they killers, they lyin'
Only thing I see 'em killin' is time

One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind
One hundred mil' and I'm still on the grind

Ooh, one hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still
One hundred mil' and I'm still

---

pride is the devil

(feat. Lil Baby)

[J. Cole:]
Uh

Pride is the Devil
Think it got a hold on me
Pride is the Devil
It left so many R.I.P.
Pride is the Devil
Think it got a hold on me
Pride is the Devil, yeah, uh

Terrified, paranoid, I'll put you over everything to fill the void
And when you're gone, will I have anything or will I be destroyed? Uh
Terrified, paranoid, I'll put you over everything to fill the void
And when you're gone, will I have anything or will I be destroyed? Yeah

Bright lights pass me in the city, it's emergency
I'm thankful 'cause I made it past my thirties, no one murdered me
Still remember vividly the nigga that pulled a gun on me
I'm petrified, but moving like I got no sense of urgency
Pride make a nigga act way harder than he really be
Pride hide the shame when city cut off all utilities
Pride hide the pain of growing up inhaling poverty
Pride make a nigga feel the way that you would follow me
Make a nigga flash a thousand like he hit the lottery
Make a baby mama make shit harder than it gotta be
Make you have to take the bitch to court to see your prodigy
Make you have to use your last resort and pull a robbery
Pride be the reason for the family dichotomy
Got uncles and some aunties that's too proud to give apologies
Slowly realizing what the root of all my problems be
It got me feeling different when somebody say they proud of me

Pride is the Devil, uh
I think it got a hold on me
Pride is the Devil, uh
It left so many R.I.P.
Pride is the Devil
I think it got a hold on me
Pride is the Devil, uh, yeah

Terrified, paranoid, I'll put you over everything to fill the void
And when you're gone, will I have anything or will I be destroyed? Uh
Terrified, paranoid, I'll put you over everything to fill the void
And when you're gone, will I have anything or will I be destroyed? Yeah

Too much money to count, what's the amount?
Check never bounce
I gotta pay a nigga to add it up
Then pay somebody to make sure whatever amount he say he can back it up
Got racks on racks, I'm rackin' up, stackin' up
You're reachin', I'm actin' up

[Lil Baby:]
Break it down, weigh it up, now bag it up
Making five a month, that's regular
Nigga playing with us, that's a negative
Go back to start, that's never
I'm a boss, my closet leather
Ain't no off-days on my schedule
Long as I live, we live forever
Told my twin this shit get better
These niggas done slipped, let me ahead 'em
Got my feet up, I paid silly bands to have sex on the jet
I don't need 'em, that shit in the past, I'm feelin' like what's next
Got my speed up, foot all on the gas, this not a C8 'Vette
I can beat 'em, I believe in me, just tell me what's the bet
All my pride gone, had to lose it all then I got rich
I own five homes, glad some of this shit starting to make sense
I'm staying hella focused and I can't forget the bigger picture
I can't even hold you, I didn't have shit, I won't forget it
Will I be destroyed?
Come to me with everything, it's starting to get annoying
I'm addicted to promethazine, it's crazy, yeah, I know it
All this money coming in, it drive me crazy not to show it
I'll be crazy if I blow it

[J. Cole:]
Pride is the Devil, uh
I think it got a hold on me
Pride is the Devil, uh
And it left so many R.I.P.
Pride is the Devil
I think it got a hold on me
Pride is the Devil, uh

---

let go my hand

[J. Cole:]
Soldier's song, marching on, on
Hoping to see home
If I die before I
See your smile just one more time

Sometimes I question whether this shit matters
Puttin' substance into something and the world's so used to instant gratification
I found this instrumental on my phone while on vacation
Ib sent it a year ago or so
I probably heard it before, but slept on it, you know?
Shit don't always connect as soon as you press play
At times you gotta step away, do some livin'
Let time provide a new prescription, givin' truer vision
I dibble-dabble in a few religions
My homie constantly telling me 'bout Quran, puttin' me on
I read a few pages and recognize the wisdom in it
But I ain't got the discipline for stickin' with it
Now I'm on the way to London, got a show for seven digits
I'm wonderin' just when did I become my biggest critic?
I wanna be my biggest fan, like how I was when didn't nobody know my jams
Today my son said, "Dad, let go my hand"
Reminded me one day he's gonna be his own man
And my job is to make sure he's equipped
I gotta make sure he not no bitch 'cause niggas bound to try him
If I said I was the toughest growin' up, I would be lyin'
I had a fear of gettin' punched while everybody eyein'
Add to that a constant fear of dyin'
By gunshot wound, the other violent type of endings
I kept a tough demeanor on the surface but was mostly just pretendin'
Luckily my bluff was workin' way more often than not
But sometimes a nigga pulled my card, tryna expose me for a fraud
And with my reputation at stake
I was scufflin' just to save face
Couple wins, couple losses, some broken up too quick to call it
My last scrap was with Puff Daddy, who would've thought it?
I bought that nigga album in seventh grade and played it so much
You would've thought my favorite rapper was Puff
Back then I ain't know shit, now I know too much
Ignorance is bliss and innocence is just ignorance before it's introduced to currency and clips
Or bad licks that have a nigga servin' three to six, shit

[J. Cole & Bas & 6LACK:]
Soldier's song, marching on, on
Hoping to see home
If I die before I
See your smile just one more time

[Bas:]
Soldier's song
I could be one to lean on
Time will right the wrongs
Won't be long
How can we grow any closer?
How can we grow any closer?
How can we grow any closer?
How can we grow any closer?
Something inside of me's tryna crawl up to the surface
Something is suddenly smothering, stopping me
Stubbornly getting its way (Way), way (Way)
Drowning out the wave (Drowning out)
I've got a reason to believe that I'll turn out just fine
Soldier's song

[Diddy:]
Lord, please guide our steps
Watch us, cover us
So that every move we make is in alignment with Your will
Your purpose
Please fill us with Your spirit
Keep us forever in the present
For presence makes the strongest fathers
Teach us how to lead
Show us how to love

---

Interlude

I'm a livin' little good thing
It's like you never lived for me
Mama said you was a good thing, uh
Good, good, good
Yeah
We came a long way, man, we done came a long way
And we sittin' on top of this shit
This shit can go one or two ways
This shit can go up, it can go down
Either way, nigga, I'm prepared
Feel me? Yeah

I be comin' in peace, but f*ck me
Best beware of the others
This shit deep, undercovers creep
This Southern heat make unbearable summers
Just last week, seen your mama weep
Crying 'cause she don't wan' bury your brother
The blood leaks while the EMTs
Gotta carry her baby like surrogate mothers
Woah, thank God we survived around where the terrorists hovered
Though traumatized, wouldn't trade it for nothin'
Through hard times, it was there I discovered a hustle
And makin' the best out the struggle
I kept grindin' 'til this day, up a level
Respect mine, gotta stay out of trouble
'Cause TEC-9's like the AR rebuttals
Cole World, niggas knowin' what it is
Just in case they don't, I show 'em what it is
Then in summer, I do real numbers
Couldn't dare touch it if they sold the double disc
Block hot, niggas burnin' up the street
Shots poppin' and we heard it up the street
It's a war, niggas runnin' up the score
Jesus said that you should turn the other cheek
Voiceless niggas gettin' murdered every week
Dead bodies, smell the odor in the street
My homie' homie got out on parole
He sold more Coca-Cola than the soda industry
Summertime bring the coldest winter breeze
Hella blues like the Rollin' 60's
Christ went to Heaven aged thirty-three
And so did Pimp C and so did Nipsey

I told you, I told you
This shit can go up, it can go down, I don't give a f*ck
Nigga, I done seen the highest heights
I done seen it twice
And I've seen them lowest of the lows
And still I rose
Now I'm at your neck, nigga, yeah

---

the climb back

Are you doin' this work to facilitate growth or to become famous?
Which is more important?
Getting or letting go?
You can do anything, anything you can do (You can do anything)
You can do anything, anything you can do (You can do anything)

Everything come back around full circle
Why do lies sound pleasant, but the truth hurtful?
Everybody gotta cry once in a while
But how long will it take 'fore you smile?
This is that come-back-to-life shit
My niggas pick me up and we gon' light the city up as if the sun had the night shift
And paint the town red for my nigga found dead too soon (Bitch, I'm back out...)

Yeah
To the left of that decimal, I need seven figures to play the joint
Turn up your decibels, peep how I decimate a joint
Check out my projects like them workers that Section 8 appoints
And you'll see how I flipped like exclamation points
My niggas shoot first as if they never played the point, more two guards
Enough straps to fill four U-Hauls
More death than World War II caused
Around these parts we pour the brown just to drown these thoughts
Of black corpses in county morgues, Lord, those images hauntin'
I ain't been asleep yet, it's ten in the mornin'
I'm sendin' a warnin', a problem with me is like the BET Hip-Hop Awards
I'm startin' to see you niggas don't want it
I'm sick of this flauntin', from niggas I know for sure ain't got mo' dough than Cole
Trash rappers, ass backwards, tryna go toe-to-toe
We laugh at ya, staff strapped up on top the totem pole to blast at ya
Bassmasters, look how they tote a pole
Gotta know the ropes and the protocol
Or they gon' for sure blow your clothes half off like a promo code
Made a lil' tune called "Foldin Clothes," and a nigga still ain't known to fold under pressure
Well, you know what Cole do
Make a diamond, they just rhymin', me, I'm quotin' gold
One phone call get you canceled like a homophobe in this PC culture
Address me as the G.O.A.T. like they call Chief Keef Sosa
In my sectional like a f*ckin' three-piece sofa
I'm known as the chosen one
Another dead body lay frozen, that's how it go sometimes
When niggas weighin' coke and not the pros and cons
Well, I ain't with that sleepin' underground like a gopher, so I go for mines

Everything come back around full circle (Nigga, gotta go for mines)
Why do lies sound pleasant, but the truth hurtful? (Yeah)
Everybody gotta cry once in a while
But how long will it take 'fore you smile?
This is that come-back-to-life shit
My niggas pick me up and we gon' light the city up as if the sun had the night shift
And paint the town red for my nigga found dead too soon
Now I know why they call it blue moon (Yeah)

Survival at all costs, every day, niggas get logged off
Bodies get hauled off
Passin' a funeral procession while holdin' my breath in the car, I thought
At times, it be feelin' the devil be winnin' but do that mean God lost?
Just got off the phone with my nigga, he back in the kennel, my dog lost
I brought him 'round close to me before but he
Became addicted to clout and all the hoes we'd meet
I slowly peeped jealousy on his breath whenever he spoke to me
Like on the low, he feelin' that in my shoes is where he supposed to be
I tried to ignore the signs, but they're in the back of my mind
It felt like lettin' a nigga come sleep on your couch and he eatin' up all yo' groceries
My nigga repeated this quote to me, I felt its potency
Said, "Most of these niggas gon' hang themselves, just give 'em the rope and see"
Shit, I heeded that, and what got showed to me
Was screamin' that, some niggas, you gotta leave 'em back
Unfortunately we seen the trap
Niggas be on that demon clock resultantly
They fiend to clap as often as the Genius app misquotin' me, uh
Meanwhile, I see that yo' diamonds is glistenin'
I'm glad that you shinin', but need I remind you my niggas is dimin' and nickelin'?
Scrapin' up whatever coin they can find, the pettiest crime, they committin' it
Just to get by for a limited time, the steepest of mountains, they tryin' to climb
I'm here tryna find the derivative, you niggas don't feel me
You see the clout, you don't see the real me
If I was sick, you niggas wouldn't heal me
Therefore I'm healin' myself, gettin' in tune with my God
Slowly revealin' myself, buildin' my wealth
A nigga touch mine, I'ma kill 'em myself, trust me
[Chorus]
Everything come back around full circle
Why do lies sound pleasant, but the truth hurtful?
Everybody gotta cry once in a while
But how long will it take 'fore you smile?
This is that come-back-to-life shit
My niggas pick me up and we gon' light the city up as if the sun had the night shift
And paint the town red for my nigga found dead too soon
Now I know why they call it blue moon (Yeah)

Bitch, I'm back outside, nigga
I'm back outside
I'm back outside
I'm back outside
Everybody mentions suicide prevention
Man, they even made a hotline
To call up when there's tension, but I got a question
What about a f*ckin' homicide?
Need a number for my niggas to call
Whenever there's a urge to get triggers involved
Need a number for my niggas to call
Whenever there's a urge to get triggers involved

---

close

Yeah
Close
Ville-matic, one, one
One, one, one-two, one
One-two, one, one-two, one
One-two, one, one, listen

Close, I stare at my dreams as they approach
Gotta be patient and trust in God, He the coach
Temptations are taking a shortcut, but I don't
'Cause I ain't tryna be a almost, when I get it, I'ma float
Gone are the days we was close
Now when I see you, I look at you just like a ghost
A shell of your former self, so caught up with that dope
Two niggas singin' two different notes and you know I gotta coast
Nothin' but a dollar and some hope
Up in NY, but damn, what hurts me the most
You was a good nigga, we knew each other's folks
Now you gotta ride around with the toast and you keep that shit close
'Cause niggas plottin' on you since you chose
To roll around with the candy paint on spokes
You know 'Ville niggas don't like it when you boast
You know twelve be takin' notes and they watchin' you close
But maybe you don't see 'em 'cause the smoke
Cloudin' your vision from every cigar that you toke
Plus the lean you sippin' which started as a joke
Got you now fiendin' for your next dose, meanwhile I'm so close
Don't even give a f*ck that I'm broke
'Cause in my mind I'm rich with shit I done wrote
Therefore I'm convinced that this is supposed to happen
And in time I'ma blow, they gon' label me the GOAT
How long has it been since we spoke?
Last night I jumped up from my sleep, I was soaked
Call it a nightmare, the scene that awoke me
Involved you and niggas I ain't know, they was creepin' up close
I saw the heat tucked in they coats
You didn't notice 'cause you was busy countin' dough
I tried to yell, but nothin' came out of my throat
Niggas cocked back the hammers and you froze, in your eyes I saw hope
Hope of a better way to cope with the pain
And the scars, than the lean and the coke
And I swear in that moment I wish we were still close
Maybe I could've saved you, but no, trigger squeeze, gun smoke
I open up my eyes with a jolt
Heart pumpin' like Usain Bolt
Reached for my phone, missed calls and a text message note
From my mama sayin' you just got smoked, damn, this life is no joke

Close
F*ck

---

hunger on hillside

(feat. James Fauntleroy)

[J. Cole:]
Alright now, alright now
God has a plan for you
And all you've got to do is believe, believe, believe
Yeah

Shit gon' get hard, keep your head strong
If I quit now, then I'm dead wrong
Fightin' off this hunger for hours
Big stepper, nigga, don't get stepped on
The money might fade, but respect don't
Still gon' be me when success gone
I don't speak the language of cowards
I walk through the flame like I'm Teflon

I sucked up the pain and I kept goin'
Whole world know my name, bitch, my rep strong
We sold out in less than a hour
These words I still sang like I'm slept on
I sin, so I can't cast the next stone
Unless it's baguettes 'round my neck bone
Inside of my frame lies a power
You can't get this game from no TED Talk
I wanna know if they understand me
I put it all on A, ain't no plan B
Hopin' all this weight ain't gon' drown me
F*cked around, got grey hairs already
Runnin' up the stairs on a tower
Runnin' up these Ms by the hour
If I drop a gem, money showers
When you get your taste, they get sour

[J. Cole (James Fauntleroy):]
Shit gon' get hard, keep your head strong
(Just keep your head strong)
The money might fade, but respect don't
(The ultimate price is regret now)
Still gon' be me when success gone
(Still gon' be me, ahh-ahh-ahh)
Big stepper, nigga, don't get stepped on

[J. Cole:]
Waitin' my turn like grains of sand inside a hourglass
Mainly concerned back in the day with how long I would last
Make a few thousand dollars stack with every hour passed
I catch you playin' inside my lane and I'ma foul your ass
Put the whole game on top my back, don't need no chiropract'
They callin' me young PWC, I got my power back
Ain't f*ckin' around, beefin' with me gon' get you hollered at
Niggas can't see me one-on-one, that's word to Kyla Pratt
You hittin' them weights, congratulations 'cause you built somethin'
You takin' a lot of boxin' lessons, but you still pussy
I see right through you niggas just like 2Pac hologram
Ain't doin' Coachella, bookin' me gon' be a lot of Ms
I'm feeling myself, I'm building my wealth up 'til it's towerin'
I put my tongue all in my bitch, she get to hollerin'
I ain't doin' no dirt no more, I stopped creepin' six years ago
Fun f*ckin' them hoes until you realize that you is the ho

Shit gon' get hard, keep your head strong
If I quit now then I'm dead wrong
Fightin' off this hunger for hours
Big stepper, nigga, don't get stepped on
The money might fade, but respect don't
Still gon' be me when success gone
I don't speak the language of cowards
I walk through the flame like I'm Teflon

[James Fauntleroy:]
Can't be afraid of sunlight
Spotlights when it close
All the pain you hold
Makes you worth your weight in gold
Can't be afraid of sunlight
Spotlights when it close
All the pain you hold
Makes you worth your weight in gold
God has a plan for you
And all you've got to do is believe, believe, be-