The Long Game

A longshot. Yo, they said I was a longshot
And said it loud enough for me to hear
«He gon' flop. He got skills but gon' flop
He won’t be around next year»
I wasn’t shocked. Yeah, I was mad but wasn’t shocked
At being slept on by my peers
I never stopped, kept pushing, and never stopped
And now I’m the one still here
With no idea what these men talking ‘bout
Volunteering information laying on Vlad’s couch
Couldn’t keep silent, now visited by violence
On WorldStar, smacked in the mouth. Huh
Hey bitches, if you’re gonna burn bridges
At least walk across before it’s burned
Instead, you light the match with gasoline on your pants
‘Cause you haven’t learned to think long-term. Now
The long game. Always play the long game
Never for the temporary gain
The long game. Always play the long game
Never lose your soul chasing fame
«That boy’s soft.» They would say, «That boy’s soft
He wasn’t making music for the streets»
«Turn him off.» They would always turn him off
Nobody want to hear him get deep. «You're no
Boss.» They would tell him, «You're no boss»
While he was writing checks to his peeps. The whole
Cost. He would cover the whole cost
And sacrifice so everyone could eat. Huh
What do you do when worst comes to worst?
It’s evident to me that my people come first
You rob everybody so they don’t rob you first
Steal a glass of water, yet still die of thirst
There’s no future in praising the shooter while the
Victim’s still lying on the floor
But what’s sympathy when you end up in prison
Spending years washing somebody’s drawers? Now
The long game. Always play the long game
Never for the temporary gain
The long game. Always play the long game
Never lose your soul chasing fame