$outhside Story (feat. Common)

On the Amen Corner, I stood, starin' at my former hood A land of gods, where the mosque towers above the ghost of Leon's Barbeque A city of contraband and contradictions The horns of Louis Armstrong wrestle with the devil's While fireworks compete with gunshots on a hot summer night Back in the day, we made the pilgrimage from the Deep South to our Mecca, the South Side (yeah) From behind the burglar bars of my mama's backyard I watched as passin' cars stopped to trap hard Black Stones in Muslim garb Leavin' the mosque from Jummah, not far from Ministеr Farrakhan, the students of Master Fard Drivе-by shootings, rapid fire Uzis, cars bumpin' the Fugees We smoke loose squares, not loosies Home of the Barbershop movies Gunshots left his cap red like a Sufi Storefront churches next to the chicken shop Across the street from the liquor spot That's juxtaposition, ahk, 32 shots in my Glock I don't listen to Fox, my middle finger to cops, uh Dead opps, but we live on these blocks Gram rocks for delivery, no electricity The middle of December but the city be hot The magic and the misery I seen it all vividly, the South Side It's just another South Side story The hope, the soul, the folks, the moes, the South Side Yeah, uh It's just another South Side story Where you at? Starin' out the window of the Green Line train, I dreamed I'd see my name On the wall, I was enthralled by street fame Dope fiends goin' through withdrawals, deep pains White boys shootin' Fentanyl in green veins Hood films by DGainz Showed the world Chief Keef, "Bang" many streets the same Bodies fall when the seasons change, as sure as Easter's spring Madea pray for me in Jesus name (Lord) I don't end up in the hands of the police or slain Sorry, granny, I got Ps to slang (I got Ps to slang) 'Cause I need the three point liter on the V6 Range Black Jesus with the VVs in the chain Just for relief from the pain Of seein' my dog on that dog food tweakin' again Reachin', I only feel peace when I'm prayin' If I could wash my sins, I'd sleep in the rain on the South Side It's just another South Side story The hope, the soul We found God in the devil's Bible (Bible) We thrive in survival We change quarter water to wine We face court orders and fines for gang signs that's tribal Canines devour you, CIA supply you Let every day surprise you We speak truth 'cause we been lied to We make possible out impossible We keep faith 'cause they denied you basic humanity Use the god in me to guide you This the two cities of Chicago One, in a state of illusion The other, the state keep refusing Various resources So the only recourse is to take your pipe to school 'Cause the school to prison pipeline is designed by standardized testing And the disinvestment in the Arts has hardened shorties' hearts So they bang fist to chest and resist arrest He did 15 months, took 15 steps (ayo, bitch) Took a nice short breath (ay, fam check it out)