Before and After

This is hard for me to write, it's difficult to express this
Its heavy on my shoulders and the weight gets tremendous
The story of brothers and a beautiful friendship
And how relations get strained with pressure and tension
Who's wrong, correct, it's all so, subjective
You look back it's hard 'cos the mind gets adventurous
Dates get mixed up, facts disconnected
The only thing you remember is the feeling that you're left with
It started as a blessing

Now you could write this off as luck or one of life's coincidences
But at some point, you think, God damn, what are the chances?
People with similar interests and influences
Coming together at that moment to form a kinship
It's like you knew that you was brothers before your conception
Even if you're not a spiritual person, I admit, shit
At that time I wasn't, but at some point it sets in
It'd be foolish to dismiss this as coincidence
Now this shit is different, somewhere this is written
Be part of a mission, this shit is predestined
Closer than close like flesh is to tendon
Share my 50 cent bag of chips with my brethren
Have a half a gas station sandwich, no question
Talking shit to me well then talking shit to him then
Family is sacred, it must be protected
Family is sacred and it must be protected

Over time, I don't know what happens something got affected
People grow in different ways at different rates I guess
It's ridiculous, little shit suddenly is big shit
Lapses in communication, glitches in the system
He said that she said, what? nobody said shit
But you'll never know 'cos everyone's passive aggressive
No sit downs, no pow wows, hella unsaid shit
People cease to make the effort to get to the essence
Peep this shit out though, this shit is really twisted
Funny thing is you and I do it every minute
We takin' inventory every time somebody says shit
Against us, stock piling every little incident
What's stupid is all the bullshit that's circulating
Could be fixed in an instant with simple conversation
But you know how pride is
A bitch with her fist clenched
That mixed with the fact drama gets addictive
Wounds need dressing and they don't receive attention
It snowballs and festers and creates resentment
People demonize each other, grave discontentment
But nobody could've been prepared for the next step

The nature of the predator is calculated, pensive
Laying in the brush patiently revving they engines
Despite the color of they eyes, all they see is crimson
Waiting for they prey to become desperate, defenseless
Outside is always over just beyond the fences
Today the gate is open, though today they make an entrance
Friendly at first; laughs, jokes like we best friends
Slowly though you start to see they 'come hidden agendas
Nine to five, one day insecure self-perceptions
Shines a spotlight on all those paranoid crevices
Things begin to heat up, everyone's already stretched thin
(How could you be so mean?) Well how could you be so deceptive?
Any second now someone will snap like a bread stick
And what once was simply dissolves like a breath mint
Just like that, you start to ask yourself questions
(Is this really worth all the emotional depressment?)
(Do the benefits and perks outweigh the pressure?)
Let me step back, give this relationship assessment
Let me step back, give this relationship assessment
Let me step back, give this relationship assessment