$outhside Story

[Intro: Common & VIC MENSA]
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)

[Verse 1: VIC MENSA]
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, thirty-two 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

[Chorus: Common]
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?

[Verse 2: VIC MENSA]
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

[Chorus: Common]
It's just another South Side story
The hope, the soul

[Bridge: VIC MENSA]
We found God in the devil's 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

[Outro: Malik Yusef]
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 fifteen months, took fifteen steps (Ayo, bitch)
Took a nice short breath (Ayy, fam check it out)