The College Graduate

Back when I was little all I wanted was a bag of nickels...
For the arcade, a game to play on my Nintendo
Got attracted to the status symbols and the baddest nymphos
Cash in abundance, stackin' the hundreds
Something to obtain, but you stuck up in your lane. Likely nothing's gonna change
Wasn't comin' from the fame
Born into the working class. Blue collar
Goin' through the school attemptin' to accrue dollars
Grew taller, but I had the growin' pains
Hip hop scholar, top honors goin' grades
Family thinkin' I should focus, get a higher education
As I think the upper class was born into what I've been chasin'
Since I had a March birth hard work starts worth and
If you wanna make it can't put the art first
But I ain't tryna do this in my spare time
Head in the Sky like Southwest Airlines, I stay fly

"This ain't a five minute break!
Must I remind you how we've only got five business days?
Don't make me cite and complain or it's life in the drain!"
Gotta give into demands of the week
Ain't handled with ease they dismantled my dreams
Yeah. Hundred grand in this bitch if I'm lucky
I'd rather count a milli while I'm out clubbing
But gotta make ends ain't ending up with nothing
Hold together like glue or you'll find yourself
Screwed. External pressures hurt potential pleasure
Society deprivin' me of dopamine
Sobriety imposed on a microphone fiend
'Cause they want my nose clean. Stayin' low key
Think of movin' into nice places. Makin' life changes
Thinkin' that I might make it
But the life is high maintenance and HR don't care for great bars
Management always lookin' for the applicants
With the cleanest track record and attractiveness
I could spazz on records and I'm talented
Got real life issues that I'm fuckin' balancin'
Gut feelin' in my abdomen. 'Bout to blow up like a
Javelin and make a mark like Battles did. Yeah
When I was lil' started gettin' my Illmatic fix
Never lost the itch and now I'm ill without a pathogen