Ghetto to Meadow

[Chorus: Oddisee]
From the ghetto to the meadow
Gotta hustle, gotta hustle
Cause a thug ain't nothing special
When your love go out the window
It's a struggle not to hustle
Til the trouble getting settled
Keep your head low in a tussle
Use your head though not the muscle
Upper level not the shovel
In the mud or out depends though
If you wanted out or in though
Just remember that the jungle
Out for blood and it gets shed though
Inner city where it's sinful
Where a grudge can be the end though
Nothing budging but the mental

[Verse 1: Oddisee]
Coming from a history of violence
Filled with misery and triumph
Lack of vision leads to buying
And that buying leads to selling
And that selling leads to clients
And clients lead to telling
And the telling leads to iron
In a cell or to your melon
Ain't no telling if you dying
When you living by the weapon
If they stepping then you riding
I seen youngins wet up like Poseidon just for smiling
That's aggression if you grew up where expression is a sign
That you ain't tough enough to see your deep depression as blessing
Cause if everybody stressing why you crying
That's method to survive the lack of resting when you're tired
Lack of breath when they put pressure on your neck and you complied
All you're left with is them questions that don't ever get obliged
If you speak up it's a threat and
If you digress then you're compliant
The divide between your effort and your net worth
Decide which gone get hurt
Before you pick a side place a bet first

[Chorus: Oddisee]
From the ghetto to the meadow
Gotta hustle, gotta hustle
Cause a thug ain't nothing special
When your love go out the window
It's a struggle not to hustle
Til the trouble getting settled
Keep your head low in a tussle
Use your head though not the muscle
Upper level not the shovel
In the mud or out depends though
If you wanted out or in though
Just remember that the jungle
Out for blood and it gets shed though
Inner city where it's sinful
Where a grudge can be the end though
Nothing budging but the mental

[Verse 2: Freeway]
I made it from the ghetto to the meadow
I was young and I was thieving, toting ninas in the ghetto
I grew up around some heathens, tryna be Robert De Niro
Toting that Tec with the air holes or the .38 special
Run go and tell the law I did it
To this drama, I'm committed I'll come for your niece and nephew
Slide through, hit them off, and then go eat a pizza pretzel
Ain't you happy that I switched this s*** to rap? It's a blessing
I'm so lucky, I was on the ducky 'fore they cuff me
Got a couple million in the tucky
It's expensive just to book me
Been popping since a rookie people can't overlook me
Either jumping off the jet, or in the mansion seeking refuge
Try me I'll set this b**** on fire like Lisa Lopez
Then pull off on a moped and go fast
My dear, my dear, my dear, you do not know me but they know me very well
Been providing all them street tales from the concrete to the cell

[Chorus: Oddisee]
From the ghetto to the meadow
Gotta hustle, gotta hustle
Cause a thug ain't nothing special
When your love go out the window
It's a struggle not to hustle
Til the trouble getting settled
Keep your head low in a tussle
Use your head though not the muscle
Upper level not the shovel
In the mud or out depends though
If you wanted out or in though
Just remember that the jungle
Out for blood and it gets shed though
Inner city where it's sinful
Where a grudge can be the end though
Nothing budging but the mental
From the ghetto to the meadow
Gotta hustle, gotta hustle
Cause a thug ain't nothing special
When your love go out the window
It's a struggle not to hustle
Til the trouble getting settled
Keep your head low in a tussle
Use your head though not the muscle
Upper level not the shovel
In the mud or out depends though
If you wanted out or in though
Just remember that the jungle
Out for blood and it gets shed though
Inner city where it's sinful
Where a grudge can be the end though
Nothing budging but the mental