I’ve been teaching you haikus…teaching you things change Reaching to tie shoes…dishonored your last name Cheated…was untrue…did all of the same things I saw mama do… Had teachers but not school…a wedding with no rings Lawyers saying I probably shouldn’t contest…same Advice I got from my father…a martyr buried in shame Mere mortal doing is best, as he dresses himself for work Looking Forty-One in the face, I’m still dreaming of gold chains Getting Grammys…hearing my Granny spit old aged Sage, spirited wisdom…the rhythm of cold days Has me wondering if I’ve really moved on from old ways Wandering through the valley of death, memory lane Gang signs, saying go left, write through the pain But the question remains…do you still want me to your hero?

They tell me I should find a bed to sleep in But it's hard to comprehend when I'm out here chasing...loopdreams...baller visions I'd rather not wake up to your smile Oh no he didn't...oh yes he did...maybe this isn't Everything you envisioned or once hoped it could be I once wanted to be Magic, Kobe, Shaq, or Kareem You know...my brother was a rapper so much better than me But he got lost in the streets My cousin Sonny lost my uncle; Joe...he's resting in peace Hard to be humble when you're thinking you're the shit in the sheets And you've got money, couple cars, a couple college degrees Then you sound like Barry White...that leave 'em weak in their knees Something takes over me Father forgive...he's bitter...badly in need Acting like he don't care that his daughters care that he breathes 'Pac said Brenda had a baby But Brenda had a dream Should Brenda become my babies I'll tell you what I believe about love He went too far this time to try to camouflage the pain  Tried to forgive...couldn’t forgive...he said he try to change Eleven years and still you let him put you through the same thing  Baby, you should know better Maybe he never cared at all Maybe you should have seen the writing on the wall Before now, love It can make you laugh It can make you cry Push those tears aside... You’ll see exactly what it is He hid those photographs Made up alibis  Read between the lies  You decide  Is this how it’s supposed to be? Is this how it’s gonna be?  Should have rehearsed the 2nd verse of can you stand the rain We're at a point where my I'm sorries just don't mean a thing Never imagined you'd wearing someone else's last name Baby, I did know better  Maybe you’re probably better off  Maybe I should have cleaned the writing off the wall Before now, love It can make you laugh  It can make you cry  Looked into my eyes  And knew exactly what I did  I hid those photographs  Made up alibis  Tried to live a lie Knew inside  This ain’t love It can make you laugh It can make you cry Push those tears aside You’ll see exactly what he is He hid those photographs Made up alibis Read between the lies You decide… Is this how it’s supposed to be? It’s this how it’s gonna be?  

You shouldn’t be here...at all  Don’t wanna listen to you cry  When he’s the reason…you call  And say you wanna come by  We both Tend to disagree  But… Girl you know like  He knows He’ll never be me Used to be you and me  In love and misery  I don’t care what they think  I’m not the enemy  We shouldn’t be friends…it’s wrong As long you need alibis  And you shouldn't pretend...he’s not yours  Why should I give a damn why  He can't  See what I can see …now It's too bad   ‘Cause she has Everything I need Man, it's a bitter pill to swallow when you see it Pullin' up to get your kids, you run into him leavin' She tells you, "It ain't what you're thinking..." So now you're thinking...well if it isn't, why we gotta have this conversation every weekend?  You can’t accept the fact and the feelings that come with the  Reality she’s sucking and fucking a new nigga All ‘cause of you nigga  Let it go fam 

I gave you every reason for leaving How the hell could you stay by my side? Forgiving…forgetting…couldn’t have been easy Expecting each second to hear goodbye I assumed that we were out of time And couldn’t fix the broken pieces in our lives Never knew it’d be this lonely outside One of those things that you tried to tell me… But then, I wouldn’t hear you saying "Come in It’s alright, I’ll fight for you ‘til The end Baby, we’ve got problems Let’s just solve ‘em I’m here" I’m guilty of not listening…now You win… All because I wouldn’t surrender Heaven knows that we’re both only human But every mistake has its price Thinking you’d stay was just an illusion ‘Cause you can’t build real love on a lie I assumed you wouldn’t wanna try If you knew what I was doing on the side Never imagined we could still be alright Another thing that you tried to tell me… Again, I wouldn’t hear you saying You’re all I need, all that I need, all that I need, all that I need You’re all I need in my life (x4) "Come in It’s alright, I’ll fight for you ‘til The end Baby, we’ve got problems Let’s just solve ‘em I’m here" I’m guilty of not listening…now You win… All because I wouldn’t surrender

Monsters in the closet Skeletons in the grave Tennis in July  Recitals in early May  David killed Goliath, Uriah...I did the same And couldn't stand the reign ...but I can fight the Monsters in the closet Skeletons in the grave Tennis in July  Recitals in early May  David killed Goliath, Uriah...I did the same And couldn't stand the reign I wonder if you wonder why I'm living on my own... Wonder if you wonder why your mother sleeps alone... She said you asked, “Where my daddy at?  When is he gon' come back home?” Kisha, let me tell her why it’s this way...hold on We were unplanned parents...that unplanned marriage No ceremony, no horse, no carriage That wedding broke me...one and half carats You used to brag about it but now you don't even wear it But I'm to blame...now mama's telling my I'm insane Disgusting how quickly niggas can change  When all you wanted was love, all I gave you was pain, Fistful of tears...nothing compares to Purple Rain...in June Ima try to keep this PG...Oklahoma City to LA...Baltimore to Atlanta...Atlanta back up to DC Rendez-vous's at Ramada's...pretending I was at conferences working but you knew, really  I was doing dirt...state of mind was filthy You could smell on my shirt...tried to hide my Achilles  Heel...didn't work.  Always knew deep inside   Sooner than later you'd be saying goodbye  Especially when your sister saw me at the wrong place...the wrong time Looking guiltier than cocaine in white lines  I was looking for the left lane, the right lie  Shoulda hit a tank propane...and just died  But I lived to see how the story would play out Was evident we wouldn’t be residents in the same house  Intelligent enough to know what the evidence showed  And that all of it counts and goes against anything I could say now It feeds into the fact that I painted the picture That hangs in my apartment on weekends when I’m with ya  Wishing I had half the heart...to right all the wrongs  That pushed us apart...damn...but daddy’s got some  Monsters in the closet Skeletons in the grave Tennis in July  Recitals in early May  David killed Goliath, Uriah...I did the same And couldn't stand the reign ...I’ll try to fight the Monsters in the closet Skeletons in the grave Tennis in July  Recitals in early May  David killed Goliath, Uriah...I did the same I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your hero I wonder, sometimes, if I'm still your...