"Criminal" lyrics - THE ROOTS

THE ROOTS

"Criminal"

feat. Saigon & Truck North

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Look, it is what it is because of what it was
I did what I did 'cause it does what it does
I don't put nothing above what I am, what I love
My family, my blood, my city and my hood
Hater for the greater good, I'm back from Hollywood
And I ain't changed a lick, though I know I probably should
But what I'm doing is not a good look
I never did it by the good book as a lifetime crook
All the petty crime took a toll on me
I look around at my homies that's getting old on me
But still something got a hold on me, maybe it's fate
If it's coming, yo, I'm willing to wait, I'm not running
I done ran through the muck, I done scrambled and such
I done robbed and odd jobbed and gambled enough
Until I'm put up in handcuffs and pissing in a cup
If there's a God, I don't know if he listening or what

[Verse 2: Truck North]
Yeah, it is what it is, and that's how it go
Get treated like a criminal if crime is all you know
Get greeted like a nigga if a nigga's all you show
A public enemy that's in the eye of the scope
My city like a island where you can't find a boat
Have you wishing for a raft and praying that hope floats
Some real ethnic cleansing going down, no soap
Who looking for a chair and some real strong rope
Just to end it all here, screaming, "Fuck the mayor"
He see the faces at the bottom of the well clear
They act like I'm something to fear, trapped in urban warfare
Putting triggers 'head a college career
Can't ignore the call of the wild, that's drawing them near
Try to make fast money last long some years
Try to laugh it off, still couldn't lose the tears
To the rules, I will not adhere, break the law, yeah

[Hook: Kevin Hanson & Saigon]
And Monday, they predict the storm
Tuesday, they predict the bang
Wednesday, they cover the crash
And I can see it's all about cash
And they got the nerve to hunt down my ass
(And do what?) And treat me like a criminal

[Verse 3: Saigon]
Who want to challenge mine? I'm sick of St. Valentine
I did the violent crimes, that's why I got this style of rhyme
Seek repentance to spitting them sentences that's senseless
Experience is the difference, you can't convince this
In a crime sense, niggas is infants
I'm like a senior citizen, still living but getting benefits
Put emphasis on hitting my nemesis in high percentages
Crooked ass cops is the reason for my belligerence
And it gets deeper than that, 'member nights I used to sleep with a gat
With a package of crack under my sneaker strap
D's sneak attack, arraign me, it took a week for that
Beat the rap, but you're saying "Look, he think he the mack"
Fuck y'all, niggas who thinking they might try us
Watch us insight riots, flip cars and light fires
We already been knocked, scrutinized
Plus cops rush to brutalize us, America is polluted by lust
Who could I trust? If I can't trust you, then I might touch you
If I ain't got love for you then fuck you

[Hook: Kevin Hanson]
And Monday, they predict the storm
Tuesday, they predict the bang
Wednesday, they cover the crash
And I can see it's all about cash
And they got the nerve to hunt down my ass
And treat me like a criminal
And Monday, they predict the storm
Tuesday, they predict the bang
Wednesday, they cover the crash
And I can see it's all about cash
And they got the nerve to hunt down my ass
And treat me like a criminal