I have a tale to tell I was three feet from the floor, gasping for air Trying to release my father's hands from my throat I looked into his eyes and wondered If my feet would ever touch the floor again Have you ever been hit so hard That it sends your body flying across the room? We all fall to the floor at some point It's how you pick yourself up, that's the real challenge, isn't it? I've always lived in my own world And I dance to escape my troubles I've learned that there's light even in the darkest places I can't blame my father for anything You can't rely on other people to make you happy But I know deep down inside He loved me There was a time I suffered so much I want to get it out of me I would cut my arms Not to kill myself, I don't want to die I know I am lucky to be on this earth I did it so the physical pain Would calm the pain that was eating me inside Nothing was erased I leave with my past tucked away, deep inside of me It comes out as an explosion and It invades me I believe we are messengers on earth I believe in angels I am blessed by God to tell myself I suffered that much to become who I am today Now, you have to realize Not only do I have a family But now I have a whole hood And that's power But I ain't no grimey-ass nigga I was never out to kill anybody Specially when I made that decision to gang bang I just wanted to fit in But one day I was forced to something that made me open my eyes And I realised that this shit ain't no game One of the homies got popped And I was pressured into doing my first drive-by It was kinda fucked up the way they tried to set me up Me and my bro, we was headed back to the eight block Some homies rolled up and they asked us to go somewhere We pulled up to the corner Then he placed a chunky-ass gun in my ride He said: You know what to do with it It's time to get poppin' for the hood But I wasn't out to kill anybody