life sentence

J. Cole

Realest shit I wrote (Doin life)
Realest shit I wrote (We doin life, nigga)
Realest shit I wrote
This be the realest shit I wrote
Realest shit I wrote
Realest shit I wrote
Be the realest shit I wrote (Doin life) , yeah

For all my niggas doin life with they day one
Who held it down when the credit wasn t A1?
You thankin God, you was lookin for a great one
He took a rib out your chest and He made one
To be a man and hold it down, take a brave one
When the hoes come around and you crave somethin
My flow switch, slow the pace, this the Ma$e one
I m not a player but I m crushin like the late Pun
Let s take one, go

The definition of rider
The one by my side when I had not a dollar to my name
Before a crowd would holler for Jermaine, you saw potential
Waitin on you to hit my line was suspenseful
Back when we was kids, this was simple
Boy likes girl, girl got a man
Boy stays in lane, maybe provides a friend
Knowin by the end buddy gon fumble
Was far from the toughest around, buddy gon rumble
When necessary, when niggas started talkin reckless
Did he not step to them niggas with chest poked out?
Over you, that Ville come out, no doubt
We fell in love, but my dreams you ain t know bout
You knew I rap, but, you ain t know bout both of my goals
Wanna take over the globe through a mic
And one day me and you be doin life

All types of games are being played
How s it goin down? (Yeah)
It s on til it s gone and I gots to know now (Yeah)
Is you with me or what?
A nigga really think he in love (Uh-huh)
I put this ring on you forever, what s up?
All types of games are being played
How s it goin down? (Yeah)
It s on til it s gone and I gots to know now (Yeah)
Is you with me or what?
A nigga really think he in love (Uh-huh)
I put this ring on you forever, what s up? (We doin life)

Uh, the puppy love had grown and now it s full blown
Since childhood, I vowed to have a good home
White picket fence with wife cookin
Yellow rice for a couple kids that s nice lookin
And I promise to treat her right
Unlike what I had seen in my life as examples
Marriages in shambles
And I can tell I found a real one
Smart, loyal, and real pretty, we can build somethin
But first, I got work to do
So, when I m spendin my nights locked in on that mic
Please, don t take it personal
My skills is growin , the flows more versatile
My name s ringin and on the evenin , I heard the news
I m gettin a deal, the first one I called was you
Even though we been off-and-on a few years
And through tears on rainy nights that you would wipe
I always knew that we d be doin life

All types of games are being played
How s it goin down? (Yeah)
It s on til it s gone and I gots to know now (Yeah)
Is you with me or what?
A nigga really think he in love (Uh-huh)
I put this ring on you forever, what s up?
All types of games are being played
How s it goin down? (Yeah)
It s on til it s gone and I gots to know now (Yeah)
Is you with me or what?
A nigga really think he in love (Uh-huh)
I put this ring on you forever, what s up? (We doin life)

The temptation of other lovers is a hard one
To overcome when you re young and your star s done align
Now women that wouldn t give you time is callin you fine
Lust creeps all through your mind, I m tryin my hardest
To remember why I m an artist
Is it for bitches and the riches?
You all suspicious, and you should be
I m doin dirt, but it s not as much as I could be
That make me feel better
I m driftin away slowly, that make you feel bitter
The Devil on my shoulder tellin me, Quit her
Angel on the opposite side sayin, Stick with her
God tellin me pick whichever is in my heart
Looked inside myself to a place beyond thought
And found out who I want to be
Slowly, but surely he cut off his hoes
If you gon do it, do it right
Put ring on your finger, now, me and you is doin life

All types of games are being played
How s it goin down? (Yeah)
It s on til it s gone and I gots to know now (Yeah)
Is you with me or what?
A nigga really think he in love (Uh-huh)
I put this ring on you forever, what s up?
All types of games are being played
How s it goin down? (Yeah)
It s on til it s gone and I gots to know now (Yeah)
Is you with me or what?
A nigga really think he in love (Uh-huh)
I put this ring on you forever, what s up? (We doin life)

I done wrote a lot of songs
But this? this gotta be my realest one
Shoutout to anybody that really know
What it s like to do life with somebody
Through the ups, the downs, the goods, the bads
Through thick and thin
In a time where they make it so easy to just give up
Know what I mean?