"Promised Land" lyrics

Sometimes I wonder
Man, how long is it gon' be for my people to come out?
Man we struggling, it's hard sometimes, but
Tomorrow's better than yesterday, uh

I was born in the slums, struggled from day one
Ray Charles vision, blinded by the light from the sun
No navigation, no sense of direction, darker complexion
Made it hard to live; dad, how you fathered your kids?
Stranded on the highway of life, left us out to die, left us out to dry
Shh, I'm still hearin' my mother's cries nigga
No father figures make harder niggas
Through the years I went to war with niggas from what I saw in the pictures
Now your son is bigger, thirteen, but just like you
Moms said I would grow up and be just like you
From what you did to my sister she disliked you
Sixteen, eleventh grade, look at me just like you
Gunnin' for riches, runnin' hoppin' project fences
Street corners to Arizona, how I earn my digits
And I'm far from finished, gamin' 'til my coffin diminish
Why pray for the afterlife when mine's just beginnin', huh

...Promised Land...
...Promised Land...

Only son by a mother, no brothers, only sisters by this one
Every time I kiss one I miss one, let me explain
Eight years before The Game, everything came with pain
Watch the fate of my family slain, would never see good times again
Cursed with pain by a nigga with no shame
My father bear the same name as his father, my grandfather
Wouldn't believe, he pulled up our family tree
I can see him rolling over in his coffin
I'm left with often, thoughts of how could you molest your daughter?
They say that's ten times worse than manslaughter
Man you oughta, be dead in a grave
But it wasn't my call, so instead you sat in a cage
High-powered, two-hundred and fifty pound, six-five coward
Woulda been dead in an hour
Heard you was scared to take a shower, scared of the yard
Your end is near, you shoulda been scared of God, motherfucker

...Promised Land...
...Promised Land...

(All my niggas listen, huh)
I stay a step ahead of the rest of y'all
Why I gotta keep a vest for y'all
Though I made it dog, I still stress for y'all
Funny how my folks think rap money stretch so far
Pray to God my niggas see through all the checks and the cars
I'm trying to invest in what's ours, gimme a couple of years dog
I'll turn your tears, stress, and your scars
Into lawn chairs and green grass in your yard
I'm tryin' to watch my kids wrestlin' y'alls
Not have to get 'em ready for school and strap a vest on 'em all
I know sometimes it get hard
Keep your head up mami, reach for the stars
Having a child is like a blessing from God
You just gotta work hard, can't let your youngest star strip in that bar
I feel your pain, this shit is ripping my heart
But where and when do we start, listen to the voice in back of my mind
Can't reach all my women so I attack it in rhyme
I know what you're feelin', I'm wiping your tears ma, it could happen in time
For now I take your tear, strife, suffering, imagine it mine, huh

...Promised Land...
...Promised Land...