No Love

[Intro]
To all my folks out there who feel like they can't take it
Tell the ghetto we gon' make it, oh yeah
But the streets you're steady chasin', they don't love you
So don't let 'em do it to you, oh there's a better way

[Chorus]
Every day, out on the block where they strugglin', steady hustlin'
Just to make it, light up the night where the fight to get this paper right
'Cause you know out there in those streets they show
No love, no love, no lovе

[Verse 1]
I'm watchin' big mama headin' for the kitchen, plantin' hеrself
By the stove, stirrin' the big pot, chokin' back the tears
Meanwhile, papa's outside pacin' the streets
For a least an hour and didn't say one word
The teddy bears that adorn the memorial
Outside the housin' project is truly a time to reflect
On what's real pain, thoughts go through the brain
The grief that follows the father of a son slain
Who feels like he could talk to him and he would listen
I need you to help me through these difficult times
To pay tribute in this way, happy and playful
No harm with the Winne the Pooh doll wrapped
Inside your arms, with the agony of losin' you this way
Only two weeks before your second birthday
It's a cold game, caught in the crossfire
Where bullets have no name

[Chorus]
Every day, out on the block where they strugglin', steady hustlin'
Just to make it, light up the night where the fight to get this paper right
'Cause you know out there in those streets they show
No love, no love, no love

[Verse 2]
Now let me show you where the hope is scarce and poverty stands
Where old people leave it all in God's hands
The scene is a rat-infested apartment over this corner bodega
Where a woman lives with her three kids
Trapped in an abusive relationship, with no money
And no one to turn to, it's hell she goin' through
Now your man is locked up, but one of them baby's daddy's
Poppin' up feelin' he could do the same thing
Remember mama always said, ("Streets ain't no love")
I know you believe her now, she raised you for nothin'
In return, all she ask is you don't cheat these kids
Out of a life you let crash and burn
But never got to see you turn it around
Even though you was strippin', you made sure your kids had what they needed
All the game do is change phases
Now you're lookin' for love in all the wrong places

[Chorus]
Every day, out on the block where they strugglin', steady hustlin'
Just to make it, light up the night where to fight his paper right
'Cause you know out there in those streets they show
They show no love, no love, no love

[Verse 3]
The days you wouldn't see one without the other
Man, they used to call us brothers, but now we got no love for each other
We used to get money together, the fight for the top spot
I'm there for you whatever, the more, the better
Them little poor kids who made it from nothin'
And you earned that button, I was happy like we both got somethin'
You had everything a man could want, your soldier's doin' your biddin'
Who could touch it and live from where you sittin'?
And I was your right hand man that smoothed out your image
You wanna kill everything, I know it's bad for business
But deep down in your power trippin', I saw the holes
From a man that respected me to switch your roles
Now your goals are different the way we get cheddar
That made me wanna step out the game and build somethin' better
When they decided it's the fear of you and the love for me
Keepin' these streets divided

[Chorus]
Every day, out on the block where they strugglin', steady hustlin'
Just to make it, light up the night where the fight to get this paper right
'Cause you know out there in those streets they show
No love, no love, no love