Role Model

[Verse 1]

I had a homeboy named Thomas
He had a older brother named Sean
They moved to Camden, came from California
The first dudes I knew that had guns
I had a homeboy named [?]
He used to show me pistols at school
And back in class in 5th grade
He had me like, "Dang, homie, that's cool"
I had a homeboy, we called him Sag-dog
He used to always say he get cash
In junior high, he went to jail for life
For a robbery that went bad
And then my homie Detrick, he used to studder
Was cool as icе, but always in some drama
Killed a barber down in El Dorado
Got lifе, now he call himself Muhammad
Had a homeboy named Fred Gilmore
Not the dude you wanna fool with
Dude was cool but his screws were loose
He used to rob the dudes that he was cool with
I had a homeboy, we called him Big Man
Not no crip, the OG for real
Him and Fred had some kind of beef
They had a gun fight right outside my crib
And then his bush low
He Christian now, I still mess with him
But a long time ago
He caught a gun charge for shootin' that pimp and them
My mama used to tell me, "Stay away from them"
But I refused to let that restrain me
Plus I was caught between a family feud
When my cousin Derek killed my cousin Wankie

[Chorus]

These the dudes I looked up to
These the dudes I looked up to
These the dudes I looked up to
These the dudes I looked up to
Let me tell you 'bout this

[Verse 2]

My uncle James, they called him Dirt
Such a fittin' name 'cause he did people dirty
Was Deebo before the Deebo and Friday killed somebody
Now he's in the pen for thirty
I recall bein' the kid at my granny crib
In my eyes, he was a giant
I woke up one morning and saw him
That shot with a Uzi and still was defiant
Ran in circles tighter than the riots
In the jungle runnin' with the lions
In the ghetto makin' my alliance
It's a point of givin' up compliance
In need of guidance, in need of leadership
In need of someone who would help me triumph
All I had was God's feed in me
Knowledge from the streets, I studied it like a science
I ain't have no other role models
All I had was peers I was lookin' up to
In the jungle, wasn't no Tarzan
Just a bunch of bangers wearin' nothin' but blue
So defiant, high like they was flyin'
On they Kobe Bryant, they did nothin' but shoot
That's nothin' but truth, trouble you do
When the supervisor ain't had nothin' to do
Heard a night [?] on Satan's playground
That may be the reason that we dream dark
And if that's a fact, then the idol I did idolize
The evil is his theme park
But no Six Flags
'Cause most of dudes in jail are the stars like Globetrotters
I been told, rather young and old
Devil's soul is searchin' for a role model

[Chorus]

These the dudes I looked up to
These the dudes I looked up to
These the dudes I looked up to
These the dudes I looked up to