TMVTL

Yeah
I'ma tell you like this
You don't know until you know
You never know
And that's real shit, uh (yo)

I'm from where tragedy made us strengthen
And casualties don't make a difference
The people who ain't from here can't imagine this way of living (can't imagine this shit)
But she a diamond in the rough, who? Jasmine K Dickens
She's got a bachelor's then a job at a maximum state prison
But she ain't the same C.O. That's working at Chow
Her pops did ten joints in the jail, she working it now (he a OG)
She work in Prince dorm, he flirt with her now, and then, she like 'em
But she stand firm, she never break a smirk or a smile (can't break)
But he a rich nigga, he know how to play, got five left
He got her address and sent her a bracelet and lingerie
Prince playing chess, he thinking of fucking her smart though
He hit her once, now he got that bitch smuggling smartphones
It went from that, now she bringing it in, dope (that work)
Prince got her locked down, he feeling like a kingpin again (damn)
He running shit right, he feeding his men (feeding his boys)
He sent that money home, so he meet up with Jasmine to re-up again (let's go again)
But nah, shit way too lit, she tryna quit (tryna, what?)
But he wasn't having it
He said, "If you stop then I frame you, bitch"
That nigga stuck to his word, he did her dirty (sheesh)
He testified on that bitch and he got out early

What's the first thing they teach you
When you get status as a thug?
That trust more valuable than love
Little spatters from the blood
But on this block, that's just what it was (you never know)
When trust more valuable than love
(Let me tell you what happen next, okay?)

Same mother, two different pops
Two brothers from two different blocks, here's the plot
Some other shit, one a hustler, one into stocks, that's Lee
Kinda tried running the streets, but it didn't pop, change his life around
He get props for getting out before it got hot
He the oldest, lil' bro is just colder, he into Glocks
He remind me of a nigga I'm sending through if I get the drop
(I like that lil' nigga)
They fuckin' on the same bitch, don't even know, she ain't low
Crib out in the 'burbs, she gave keys to both, she exposed
The truth when she was nine months, gave Lee a stroke
She never tried to meet my folks
'cause she was somewhere skeetin' bro
And the child wasn't his, she played him like a sucker
He popped to the nursery, killed the baby and his brother
You never know until you know

What's the first thing they teach you
when you get status as a thug?
trust more valuable than love
Little spatters from the blood
But on this block, that's just what it was
When trust more valuable than love

All that love shit gon' get you hurt
'Cause it don't add to no plugs, know why?
'Cause trust more valuable than love
Nice guys finish last
And tough guys getting tatted up with slugs out here
'Cause trust more valuable than love
You never know
here's how I know (never know)

Small-time petty theft
Crash dummy pedigree
Might think he gangster but he's nothing like the Genevese
Caught a rapper slipping and put a bullet in the leg of me
Wait, I mean the leg of him, life feel like his testament
The rapper never answer when a D.T.s is questioning
Sciatic nerve, severed it, he's on prescription medicine
Had to learn to walk before he got back to himself again
'Cause feeling like you cripple leaves him with a sense of helplessness
Now we feeling devilish, only one way to settle this (there's only one way)
The rapper does his homework, he gets governments and addresses (somebody gotta die)
The rapper got patience, plus friends in high places (high places)
And he knows a shooter without a gun, not dangerous
The shooter on the run for other stupid shit he done
The rapper drops a number one album, he's back out having fun
Catch that dirty motherfucker when he finally gets sent to jail
And have B.S.F. Carved in his face with a dirty nail, you never know

The first thing they teach you
when you get status as a thug
Is trust more valuable than love
Little spatters from the blood
But on this block, that's just what it was
When trust more valuable than love

All that love shit gon' get you hurt
That shit don't add up to no plugs, know why?
'Cause trust more valuable than love
Nice guys finish last
And tough guys getting tatted up with slugs out here
'Cause trust more valuable than love
More valuable than love (you never know)

You never know
You never know
You never know 'til you know