Chorus:
You know what it is
I'm a product of my environment
from a place so violent
Tryin' stay away from the sirens
Verse 1:
I believe what I believe in
and I think my melanin
might be the reason we at war
with the policeman
A tax paying citizen they label me a demon cause I got hair like my
ancestors
and livin' what I'm dreamin'
From a back block in Newark
they tried to count me out
pissy mattress on the sidewalk was my bouncy house
I really came from all that ra ra
They start to question we don't habla englaise
He said she said
both them going bye-bye
We don't allow rats
in the jungle we move in wild packs
They kidnapping babies
you fightin' to get your child back
How dem officers goin' allow that
body cam from when he bodied fam
Now his mama won't get her child back
Food stamp application still in back order
the government putting lead in our tapwater
you better not come out the house
without your strap on you
Chorus:
You know what it is
I'm a product of my environment
from a place so violent
Tryin' stay away from the sirens
Verse 2:
Before I lay me down to sleep at night
I always say my prayers
that they don't tie a rope around my neck
and kick away my chair
cause I ain't tryin' to hurt nobody
But if I have to I won't care
If we got to result to violence
I want you to know I'm prepared
To do my time
I risk my life
just do your job
read me my rights
if my hands up
put me in cuffs
put down your gun
I'm not goin run
Gettin out the hood for summers a impossible mission
The hood goin always be the hood with or without your permission
Real n****
Grape soda
Hella boxes of chicken
Aunt been stealin yo s*** cause she can't knock the addiction
I done been in situations where coppas' was fishin'
random traffic stop my partners was trippin'
now they locked in the system
I talk about it
Cause I live it
We committed
Yeah, I did it
Dark skin with dreadlock, ya description
Yeah, I fit it
I'm a product
Like pure cocaine
Before it stepped on or chopped up
Stood ten toes firm
They knock me down and I got up
Learn how to hustle from my daddy
Beat that block up
Word to Louie Rankin
dem' wah war
Chorus:
You know what it is, what it is, what it is
I'm a product of my environment
so violent
You know what it is
You know, you know, you know
you know what it is
You know, you know, you know
You know what it is
I'm a product of my environment
from a place so violent
Tryin' stay away from the sirens
