[Verse One]

Times so hard when - dogs eat cat food

and cats don't eat cause cats can't compete

It's survival on the streets

A true raw deal, blame it on feel

The notion to survive

Hangin on to barely one life left

I take a deep breath before I climb the pissy stairwell

The elevator ain't worked in years

Painted with the tears of a (?) rape victim

And stud already out of prison

so I rely, on my night vision and

watch out for stick-up, or get stuck up

Change up my routine I mean

Bull{shit} ain't nothin but a word, keep my ears to the curb

Brothers screamin bout, "43rd" but that ain't what I heard (yeah)

Truancy officer in the parkin lot

Nickname Mr. Spark-a-Lot, high as hell

Just checkin off names, as parents walk by

Don't even question that it's strange



[Chorus]

I recognize game

A master, see and don't see

Hear and don't hear ("you know what I mean")

.. pay close attention, I recognize game

A master, see and don't see

Hear and don't hear ("you know what I mean")

.. pay close attention



[Verse Two]

I feel the millenium come

And we'll all become, dumb, deaf and blind

I wrote this rhyme when I was walkin in the damn rain

Constant pain, inflicted by injustice

Don't trust this, I know what it feel like

to be broke, walkin through the alley

Contemplatin crimes, I'm, about five seconds off it

Waitin to start it with barely enough change to make

one phone call, but call who?

To pull me through the muck (yeah) stomach pains

Hunger cramps, my brain headaches exaggerated by

resteraunt displays all day

And food smells, lie trapped between my nostrils

I'm feelin hostile, I vow, not to react black

And act on the basic instinct and will to live

I got more to give (yeah)

But the situation at the crib is a trip, I wanna flip

and change my whole personality

Cause I can't deal with reality

.. it's just way too much



[Chorus]



Pay close attention, pay close attention