Loneliness has followed me all my life
Everywhere.. in bars, in cars
Sidewalks, stores, everywhere
There's no escape
God's the only man
Once there was a little kid named Benefit
Walked around town with a frown, face down lookin bent
Had problems inside, his little sister just died
Keep ya head up little man, all you got is your pride
He said the world doesn't want me, and neither does my daddy
He'd rather get drunk and puff blunts than raise a family
That's real, there ain't nothin realer than that
The world is much colder than the steel of a gat
But yet, he moved on, he fought hard to stay strong
In this cold world to stay warm, he put a jacket on
Made of 100 percent pain
The label said the only way to wash it was to stand out the rain
But he still was cold, the other kids were old
All he really wanted in life was jewels and gold
And he'd be set, gettin fine girls (??)
See him with the boom box and fat boys get set
If he got into a fight, he'd throw down
But he's a little skinny kid about 70 pounds
And he had a loud mouth so nobody stepped to him
But I guess if they woulda, well I guess he'd have threw him
But it didn't get to that, this little aristocrat
Wanna live phat, smashin mailboxes with bats
Runnin wild through the streets, his mouth would make beats
He used to play football in mud with baseball cleats
That's the life in my memory imbedded in my brain
As he started growin, things started to change
(Chorus)
Who has the right to know
My life's a steady flow
Who can say, what's wrong or right for me?
As Benefit got older, he started to realize
Everybody's smiles was just jealousy in disguise
If he turned his back, that was that, a knife would be in it
Drama face to face in any place, no one would begin
Cause they knew what this kid had been through
Nothin nice, best sacrifice off a lice menu
And things lately were startin to get crazy
And if they stuck around lately maybe his mom would lose her baby
So they broke out, headed down south no route
This kid was still actin rough, thought he was tough no doubt
Dealt a difficult hand but he had to play with it
Emotionally disturbed and the kid never quit it
Immediately took charge runnin his new neighborhood
Makes me laugh thinkin when he built forts from wood
And if anybody touched him then that's their ass
If anybody fronted to the kid they'd get cashed
In school, everybody sayin who's the new kid
I heard he's from Sacargo, last week heard what he did
Such and such, that's how rumors get started
But at lunch actin all retarded, eatin Captain Crunch
Thought he was funny, little dummy makin a scene
Look happy on the outside but inside mean
Lot of anger built up from things in the past
Such an unreal life, reality hard to crash
That's the life in my memory imbedded in my brain
As he started growin, things started to change
(Chorus)
He moved again, his new total's 13 times
Started gettin serious and writin serious rhymes
He began workin, hustlin the company
Block is full of cash now, everyday's a shoppin spree
Got away with it, finally got caught and bullshitted
They didn't fire instead they said ? quit it
This life has slowed down, different than its beginnin
Only worse cause little bitches had him sinnin
Fell in love one time, maybe twice who knows
The only problem is the girls weren't nice for hoes
It was a big mistake, messed up the kids mindstate
Betrayin his best friends for nice ass and a date
Wait what's goin on here, the girls left him
Now he's scarred from left ear to right ear
That's his whole brain, now his lights gettin dim
Cause what he did to his best friends now happened to him
Now he cares about nothin feelin sick everyday
Thank God, eventually the pain went away
Now he's more mad, then he ever has been
Up late night at home, his only friend is his pen
Right gettin out frustration through poetry
Treatin girls the exact opposite of novelty
His struggle carries on, documented in every song
Made it this far, confident he'll carry on
That's the life in my memory, imbedded in my brain
And its true, as he grew.. things did change
(Chorus)