Lyrics Three Sides to a Story - Joe Budden

My name's Derrick, I'm from Queens right there on Merrick
Raised of honesty, loyalty, good merits
Got a little sister and my pop's just perished
And I just came home, so my freedom I really cherish

Young when they bagged me, seven in the can is torture
And I just did that for manslaughter
Odds was against me, murder in the second degree
Made it less, 'cause I gave 'em a plea

That's the past, now a dude home tryna clean up his past
What all niggaz know me for is the past
Ya know, my mind's always thinking how to pocket some cash
They know if something ever sparked, it'll cock it and blast

Now I'm tryna live straight and get my act together
But my mom's struggling, she putting scraps together
Long time ago, when I wasn't home, she was cleaning my room
Cried when she found a gat in the dresser

Said no child of hers would've had that, never
But with all the dirt I was doing
I felt like I had to protect her, I had to protect us
'Stead of me sellin' crack forever

She rather be in a shop right, getting bags together
Past endeavors won't allow me to get work
So forced me to get work
On apps they ask if you ever been to jail, like if I say yes you'll hire me
Nigga don't lie to me

I gotta 'lil sister that's nine
Plus mom's is chillin', with some new dude I think she's feelin'
But he don't help with the bills and I'm back on the script
So we don't go broke, I'm back to this hammer that I hafta tote

Stash you know, I'm killin' 'em, only nigga on the Ave with coke
Only man in the house, I gotta bring in cash
And 'em two chicks a month that mom get don't last

Little Sally still young, she developing fast
Oh, you thinking the same thing, it's a hell of a task
Then it clicked me, plain close, cops came to get me
But knew that I had mine on, threaten to hit me
And I moved swiftly, said they had a warrant
They knew about it all, they said they had an informant

I'm back in a caged up cell
With the apes in jail, now I'm back in this eight by twelve
See I tried to live right
But society ain't made for niggaz to live right
Mommy, just write
Mommy, make sure Sally keep her shit tight
And I'll be home real soon, don't cry, it's light

I know it might seem like it's all good (what)
But this is what it's like in the hood (what's it like)
I rep my set like you should (what)
But this is what it's like in the hood

I know it might seem like it's all good
But this is what it's like in the hood
I rep my set like you should
But this is what it's like, what it's like

My name's Sally and I'm from Queens, I'm not happy
Dad passed away, mom's remarried
I got a big bro, but he's in jail
Mom said for some things that he used to sell

And I'm always with step-dad, his name's Beau
And there's some things about him that my mom don't know
And he says if I tell that, it won't be pretty
And I'm really scared of him, he's already hit me

He touches me places I don't like it
And I ain't talking 'bout a hug or goodbye kiss
I mean, touch me places that's private
And he don't just touch, he put somethin' inside it

He says the more he does that, I'll start to like it
Hand over my mouth so I'm quiet
Mom's only with him 'cause our money is low
I'm sixteen but I'm shaped like a twenty year old

And my mom's in love so she makes excuses
But she looks at me and sees scrapes and bruises
Why step-daddy gotta take me through this?
Help, somebody, I'm getting raped, I can't do this

Nobody understands I'm weary
Get goosebumps anytime a man come near me
Know how it feel to have a man use you for a cushion
All the while moaning and pushin'

You try to push him, he's getting bothered
You yell and you scream, but he starts going harder
Trust me, it's somethin' you don't wanna be a part of
'Cause even when it's over, your life, it'll scar you

Visit my bro, he can tell I'm sad
Staring hard at my stomach, he can tell I'm fat
He can tell I'm mad
But step-daddy touched me, fucked me, you think that I can tell him that?
Beau called the cops on him, could I tell him that?

Yep, thought you'd agree, so I keep it all to me
Baby on the way, and I'm not working
And I know it's his 'cause I used to be a virgin
Derrick says he'll handle it, wipe my tears
He don't know, this is what it's like for years
And it falls on deaf ears

Damn, mommy, please, come home, please mommy don't leave us alone
Some secrets are hard to keep
Some secrets make it hard to sleep
And sleep is the only time I feel safe
Still the act haunts me, and I know that I'ma wake up with step-daddy on me

I know it might seem like it's all good (what)
But this is what it's like in the hood (yo)
And I rep my set like you should
But this is what it's like in the hood

I know it might seem like it's all good
But this is what it's like in the hood
And I rep my set like you should
But this is what it's like, what it's like

My name's Beau, got a chick named Pam that I live with
But she's always in church, real religious
I had a son, he was young, he was gifted
'Til a nigga killed him a week before Christmas

Three shots, close range with a handgun
I knew before I met Pam that it was Pam's son
I knew when I pulled the Mill out harder
And went on a manhunt just to kill they father

Derrick and my boy had a mutual friend
That put me on haunt, what I gotta do for revenge
Derrick's coming home now, and he's gonna get it
And I know he'll be lookin' for me with a biscuit

Not hard to find, got them teks in handy, and
I'm in his house having sex with his family
I got his mom on the bed and the canopy
And I'm with his sister, molesting her candy

Now he know it all
His friend prolly told him, and you can't hide nothing in a hood so small
But then it came Sunday, Beau ain't hafta work
Just humped on Sally, Pam's in church

Derrick bust in, Beau just froze
White shit on his nose, Sally getting her clothes
Screams, "Get ready for your funeral, Beau"
And then he reach to his hip and let a few of 'em go

'Cause he's packin', but Sally starts gaspin'
Holdin' her stomach, I guess she started having contractions
Beau grabbed his, now they both got heat
Just gunnin', both ignoring the seed that's coming

Now Sally's in the crossfire, screams out "Stop"
Holes in the wall, now the scene's getting hot
Next 30 seconds, on the scene is the cops
Yellow tape up, now the scene's getting blocked

Barricades up, yep, you already know, y'all
Ambulance there, streets full of patrol cars
Cops on the megaphone, "Come down now"
But it all calmed down somehow

Beau comes out, hands showing, carrying in his arms
Derrick comes down, little Sally in his arms
Yep, nothin' to say, she was hit by astray
Nope, shots done ricochade, cops take him away

And now some niggaz miss him
But it wasn't the guns that killed Sally, nah, it was the dumb niggaz with 'em
When we gonna learn to treat our people sacred?
There's some type of way kid, we're all related
When we gonna grow and get rid of the hatred?
'Cause this shit happens on a regular basis, this shit happens on a regular basis
This type of shit happens everyday kid

I know it might seem like it's all good (what)
But this is what it's like in the hood (yo)
And I rep my set like you should (what)
But this is what it's like in the hood (this is what it's like in the hood)

I know it might seem like it's all good
But this is what it's like in the hood (real)
And I rep my set like you should
But this is what it's like, what it's like

Might seem like it's all good
But this is what it's like in the hood
And I rep my set like you should
But this is what it's like