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Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Kendrick Lamar
Vocals
Ash Riser
Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Ash Riser
Songwriter
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth
Songwriter
Mark Spears
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Dave Free (of Digi+Phonics)
Executive Producer
Derek "MixedByAli" Ali
Mixing Engineer
Mark Spears
Producer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
One time
Reportin' live
Compton, California
[Verse 2]
Have you ever felt like, like you never get life
Like you never did right, sort of like a black sheep?
Back down, backin' out your dreams like some bad sleep
Chasin' for the wind but you never win the track meet
Oh, what a cold world for a broke ****, it's bitter
And life's a bitch, don't hit women, so I bit her
I struck enough pain, let her know I wasn't playin'
I was so sincere like Nas' first name in Belly
They tell me it's very difficult to see twenty-five
And if I survive, it's probably with a celly
My opportunities are low because my brown complexion floats
In the ghetto rather in some heels like Giuseppe's
They want me unemployed until I hit the streets
Fulfillin' voids of broke D-Boys sellin' weed
Fuckin' up my prestige till I live with the blues, BB King or the neighbors of Snoop
[Chorus]
That's why I'm in the club like fuck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say I can't live comfortable
I'ma tell you that's a lie, lie, lie
So while I hold this bottle of Cîroc with a hand full of ass
Celebrate the very day that I get past
Through the barbed wire
We are, we are fighters
We are, we are true
Through the, through barbed wires
We will, will break through
So while I hold this bottle of Cîroc with a hand full of ass
Celebrate the very day that I get past
Through the barbed wire
[Verse 3]
Have you ever felt like, like you never get life
Like you never did right, sort of like a black sheep?
Tryna get away from the world's stereotype
Barbed wire got a barricade on your destiny
She desperately in need of some inspiration, see what the people sayin'
She gon' have a baby, then flee from her education
At the age of sixteen, credit card scam schemes
See a scar on her eye, boyfriend brutality
She'll never get by, no how, no way
Welfare recipient, property of the state
Housing, Section 8, corner store prostitute
The owner 'bout to prosecute, the **** tell her that she's cute
Hood rat trashy, six baby daddies
And this baby daddy is new to the family
Chillin' in pajammies, waitin' on the first, fast forward, spillin' drinks on her fur
[Chorus]
That's why she in the club like fuck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say she can't live comfortable
She gon' tell you that's a lie, lie, lie
So while she up in VIP pourin' Merlot in the glass
Celebrate the very day that she get past
Through the barbed wire
We are, we are fighters
We are, we are true
Through the, through barbed wires
We will, will break through
So while she up in VIP pourin' Merlot in the glass
Celebrate the very day that she get past
Through the barbed wire
[Verse 4]
Have you ever felt like you finally got life?
You finally got right? No longer a black sheep
Livin' off ya dreams like Christina uh-Milian
In the front seat of a convertible, elopin' to get married
What a feeling of overcoming the odds
It's like we just hit the lottery, my God
There must be a God, 'cause golly
You done made it through the fight while squabblin' Ali
Now ya lifestyle's lookin' up, and you escaped the crooked cuffs
And you ain't had to kill a **** just to make a couple bucks
And she ain't have to go and fuck on everybody for a dollar
Makin' good decisions, got a independent business mind
And both of y'all are steady grindin', doin' it the legal way
Just tryna make a decent pay on every second of the day
But they won't give you the credit, disses out they mouth
You must have joined the Illuminati just to ball out
[Chorus]
In the club like fuck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say they can't live comfortable
They gon' tell you that's a lie, lie, lie
So even if you overcame doubt and ya livin' ain't bad
Know it's a barbed wire that's always in your path
Through the barbed wire
Just laugh, then everybody say
'Cause I won't get caught again
And I'm here to stop the trends
You can catch me if you try
Disappear into the night
And I'm gone
[Outro]
So you made it past all the barbed wires?
There's one more left
Written by: Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Ash Riser