Lyrics Shine All Gold - The Underachievers

You're stupid to think the world's small enough to heal all of us
That's what the teacher say, go to the preacher, pray
But you gotta pay, gotta fight you a cheaper way
Look into myself, gotta find me a deeper way
Chase my dreams, create, made me me today
As I prosper, no defense, they watch us
So I'm still obnoxious when I'm in their binoculars
A nigga just wanna be free
I was in the same hood and nobody rescued me my nigga
Could've plead and believed and self achieved
Nothing with greed, just be yourself
Realize that your strength is locked inside
It's the thing that you feel when you open your eyes
Them feelings alive, go ahead homie and fly
Someday you'll get high, leaving your mark in the sky
But till then I got this, fuck your hypothesis
[?] while I build my conscious up
But my ganja tryna like prosperous
It's a [?], I had a dream and I followed it
Dodging them hollow tips, throw some shots, they missed
Had to stay optimistic
But her pharmacist kept me on cloud 9 when the hard times would hit
All time high, first time I hit fronto kid
By Eighteen, had the mind of a king
Gotta learn from mistakes, what it takes to lead
But of course had a taste of the evil seed
So I could truly see what I was meant to be
Who would know much later I would be much greater
Every parent, teacher, conference, told my mom I was a failure
Cos they couldn't see the profit in the sky as a player
Rise on them haters and defied all the labels
Swear to keep it G till I'm at the crossroads
And the grim reaper creep tryna [?] my soul
Used to sin every week, had to let the pain go
Gotta practice what your preach, but I ain't an angel
Mob in the streets, but the blue rack know
But despite all the demons tryna bring me down low
I just rise like a phoenix and I shine all gold

Flatbush was my stomping ground
Mother wanted to keep me out
Tried to put me on a different route
Sent me to school to smarter crowds
Problem is when my school was done, would come home to my neighborhood
Learn the ways of the hood I'm from
But in my books, I was a gifted one
My conduct, it was fucked up
I was the class clown since I started up
Getting good grades, but that's not enough
Had a 99, but my behavior sucked
High school, a nigga found drugs
Prescription pills, not the good stuff
Xanax next when I'm waking up
Percocet just to keep me up
Nose candy was a favorite
8-ball for only two of us
Popping X was another one until we found out the shit was cut
Ain't it funny when you think about it
My mother thought that these schools were bound to keep a nigga on the straight end highroad
Instead they filled me up with problems
But in the same breathe, I would've changed shit
Because the pain is what made me become great
Everything that I go through, because faith
It was hard but it caused me to change shit
Addiction lead to depression
And in depression, you're taught some lessons
If you listen, they keep on pushing and the solution cause evolution
Obstacles come inside of your path and make you switch up and step on the gas
If you look back inside of your path
You find direction, it's like your own map