One Day At A Time (Em's Version)

Sometimes it's hard, to wake up in the morning
Mind full of demons I don't wanna hear 'em anymore
Got me heartbroken, fine, so many babies screamin'
'Cause they seein' destruction before they see a human bein'
So they start smokin', we will never get our day
Until we learn to pray, keep our families in shape
'Cause they all broken, why do ghetto birds die
Before we learn to fly, somebody else should try
Cockin' guns, smokin', we can all make a change
So I'm told but I haven't seen a change unfold
I'll keep hopin' please, if you prefer to breathe
Communities in need of people that will lead
Keep your eyes open, I can only say I'll try
Until the day I die, I promise to be wise
With my heart open, greed brings only misery
Away the tragedy, so I stay sucker free
Only a few chosen rise, my ghetto Queens rise
Don't be afraid to try, too many of us die
For the door to open wide, my brothers speak wise
Stay focused on the prize, though everybody dies
We can only learn to take, our anger and our hate
Control our mental states, settle down and set it straight
Maybe we can learn to take a second to pump the brakes
Before we said it, regret it later and let it escalate
Cause by then it's just too late, there's so much we can take
And there's only so much someone can swallow and tolerate
To the point that he just breaks, snaps, and it's all it takes
You think that we was learnin' from other rappers' mistakes
But we ain't, its grain to go against
With every artist comes the image he portrays and the picture that he paints
But in the midst of all this anger and this angst
Never once did you heard me say
I'm a gangster and I ain't hear no complaints
But I know, that I will always continue to grow
As long as I lead, and never follow in no one else's shadow
There will never be another me, and that I can guarantee
That's why the fuck I remain sucker free
To this day, the game, will never be the same
No matter how much fame and success they attain
There will never be another me
And no matter what they do, there will never be another you
You can search but you'll never find
You can try to rewind time, but in your hearts and your minds
We will never die, we are forever alive
And we continue growin', one day at a time
Don't get caught in the publicity and caught in the hype
Rappers are regular people minus money and lights
Searchin' for fortune and fame and superstardom
All the jewelry, all the cars, whose crew's the hardest
There's not a hip-hop police, the villains is watchin'
And the kids think beef, is they only option
Outlawz born filthy, guilty as charged
My memories took a dive, my Machiavelli lives on
You think the industry is fun, and no pity with guns
And when your money is up, that's when your enemies come
So if he died, and came back, would he try to save rap
We needin' a change, the drama remains the same
I spend my whole life, fightin' myself
That I can't win, so I'm invitin' some help
And hey now then, I take rights and no lefts
I'm still, just like a kid, lookin for stripes on my belt
Yeah, that there is a fight in itself
So I just pray and hope God, take a light to myself
No matter how much I try, stay alive, I'ma die a man
Still standin' and in love with my pride
Heard frivolous beats, we past that
I'm tryin' to keep some income comin' in and collect on my ass cap
The rappers in the game ain't changed
And I finally realize that we're not in the same game
The hatin' will never end, so I guess I'll deal with it
Them .45's will pop killas, yes I'm still with it
The streets is military, you gotta be a soldier
Gotta stay leery, and keep your eyes on the rollers
They do what they gotta do to shackle and hold us
So we gotta do what we gotta do to keep rollin'
One way at a time, keep the faith in your mind
And we continue growin', one day at a time, damn