3 Sides To A Story Lyrics - Joe Budden

[Joe as Derrick] 

My names Derrick, I'm from Queens right there on Merrick 

Raised of honesty, loyalty, good merits 

Gotta lil sister and my pops just perished 

And I just came home so my freedom I really cherish 

Young when they bagged me, seven in the can is torcher 

And I just did that for manslaughter 

Odds was against me, murder in the second degree 

Made it less 'cause I gave 'em a plea 

That's the past, now a dude home tryna clean up his past 

When all niggaz kno me for is the past 

And my minds always thinking how to pocket some cash 

They know if something ever sparked it'll cock it and blast 

Now I'm tryna live straight and get my act together 

But my moms struggling, she putting scraps together 

Long time ago, when I wasn't home she was cleaning my room 

Cried when she found a gat in the dresser 

Said no child of hers woulda had dat, never!!! 

But with all the dirt I was doing 

I felt like I hadda protect her, I hadda protect us 

Stead of me sellin crack forever 

She rather be ina shop right, getting bags together 

Passing endeavors, wont allow me to get work 

Forced me to get work 

On apps they ask if you ever been to jail, like if I say yes you'll hire me 

NIGGA DON'T LIE TO ME!!! 

I gotta lil sister that's nine 

Plus moms is chillin, wit some new dude I think she feeling 

But he don't help with the bills and I'm back on the script 

So we don't go broke, I'm back to this hammer that I hafta tote 

Stash ya kno, I'm killin em, only nigga on the Ave. with coke 

Only man in the house, I gotta bring in cash 

And those two chicks a month that mom get don't last 

Lil Sally still young she developing fast 

Oh, you thinking the same thing, it's a hell of a task 

Then it clicked me, plain close, cops came to get me 

But knew that I had mine on threaten to hit me 

And I moved swiftly, said they had a warrant 

They knew about it all they said they had an informant 

I'm back in this caged up cell 

With the apes in jail, now I'm back in this eight by twelve 

See I tried to live right 

But society ain't made for niggaz to live right 

Mommy just write 

Mommy make sure Sally keep her shit tight 

And I'll be home real soon, don't cry, it's iight 

[Chorus] 

I know it might seem like it's all good 

But this is what it's like in the hood 

I rep my set like you should 

But this is what it's like in the hood 

(repeat) 

[Joe as Sally] 

My names Sally, and I'm from Queens I'm not happy 

Dad pasted away, moms remarried 

I gotta big bro, but he's in jail 

Moms said for some things that he used to sell 

And I'm always with step-dad, his names Beau 

And theres some things about him that my mom don't kno 

And he says if I tell that it won't be pretty 

And I'm really scared of em, he's already hit me 

He touches me places I don't like it 

And I ain't talking bout a hug or goodbye kiss 

I mean touch me places that's private 

And he don't just touch he put summin inside it 

He says the more he does that, I'll start to like it 

Hand over my mouth so I'm quiet 

Moms only wit 'em 'cause our money is low 

I'm sixteen but I'm shaped like a twenty year old 

And my moms in love so she makes excuses 

But she looks at me and sees scrapes and bruises 

Why step daddy gotta take me thru this 

Help, somebody, I'm getting raped I cant do this 

Nobody understands I'm weary 

Get goosebumps anytime a man come near me 

Know how it feel to have a man use you for a cushion 

All the while moaning and pushin 

You try to push him, he's getting bothered 

You yell and you scream but he starts going harder 

Trust me, it's summin you don't wanna be apart of 

'cause even when it's over, your life, it'll scare ya 

Visit my bro, he can tell I'm sad 

Staring hard at my stomach he can tell I'm fat 

He can tell I'm mad 

But step daddy touched me, fucked me, you think that I can tell him that? 

Beau called the cops on him, could I tell him that? 

Yep, thought you'd agree so I keep it all to me 

Baby on the way, and I'm not working 

And I kno it's his cause I used to be a virgin 

Derrick says he'll handle it, wipe my tears 

He don't know, this is what it's like for years 

And it falls on def ears 

Damn mommy please come home, please mommy don't leave us alone 

Some secrets are hard to keep 

Some secrets make it hard to sleep 

And sleep is the only time I feel safe 

Still the act haunts me, and I kno I'ma wake up with step daddy on me 

[Chorus] 

I know it might seem like it's all good 

But this is what it's like in the hood 

I rep my set like you should 

But this is what it's like in the hood 

(repeat) 

[Joe as Beau] 

My names Beau, gotta chick named Pam that I live with 

But she's always in church, real religious 

I hadda son he was young he was gifted 

Til a nigga killed him a week before Christmas 

Three shots close range with a handgun 

I knew before I met Pam that it was Pam's son 

I knew when I pulled the Mill out harder 

And went on a manhunt just to kill they father 

Derrick and my boy hadda mutual friend 

That put me on doing what I gotta do for revenge 

Derricks coming home now, and he's gonna get it 

And I kno he'll be lookin for me with a biscuit 

Not hard to find, got them teks in handy, and 

I'm in his house having sex with him family 

I got his mom on the bed and the canopy 

And I'm with his sister molesting her candy 

Now he kno it all 

His friend prolly told em, and you can't hide nothing ina hood so small 

But then it came Sunday, Beau ain't hafta work 

Just humped on Sally, Pam's in church 

Derrick bust in, Beau just froze 

White shit on his nose, Sally getting her clothes 

Screams, "Get ready for your funeral Beau" 

And then he reach to his hip and let a few of 'em go 

Cause he's packin but Sally starts gaspin 

Holdin her stomach, I guess she started having contractions 

Beau grabbed his, now they both got heat 

Just gunnin, both ignoring the seed that's coming 

Now Sally's in the crossfire, screams out stop 

Holes in the wall, now the scenes getting hott 

Next 30 seconds on the scene is the cops 

Yellow tape up, now the scenes getting blocked 

Barricades up, yep, you already kno y'all 

Ambulance there, streets full of patrol cars 

Cops on the mega phone, "come down now" 

But it all calmed down somehow 

Beau comes out, hands showing, carrying his arms 

Derrick comes down, little Sally in his arms 

Yep, nuttin to say, she was hit by a stray 

Nope! Shots done ric-o-shade, cops take him away 

And now some niggaz miss em 

But it wasn't the guns that killed Sally, nah it was the dumb niggaz wit em 

When we gonna learn to treat our people sacred 

Theres some type of way kid, we're all related 

When we gonna grow and get rid of the hatred 

'cause this shit happens on a regular basis, this shit happens on a regular basis 

This type of shit happens everyday kidd 

[Chorus] 

I know it might seem like it's all good 

But this is what it's like in the hood 

I rep my set like you should 

But this is what it's like in the hood 

(repeat)