J. Cole - Port Antonio

Young Jermaine walked the straight and narrow
Minimum-wage jobs for dinero, but still, my mind was on the zeros
I fiend for the perks that was seen flippin' birds, so
We was skipping church, but my eyes was on the sparrows
Niggas flippin' pies, spendin' thousands on apparel
Shit, I wanna shine too, I want dimes too
Jealous niggas wanna know just how my rhymes blew
Mano a mano, I'm Bono, I'm you times two
Now I'm bougie, I done outgrew the fountain blue
But never forgot the spot where I developed my plot
The dwellin', the top, the Ville, where all my skeletons locked
If I could do it all over, then I never would swap
I've seen good, I've seen bad, had my melanin mocked
I've seen lifelong friends turn to devilish opps
I was Mike in red leather, tryna tell him to stop
You better beat it 'fore you see the heavy-metal get popped
He was a mean-ass wing with a hell of a shot
But if no team draft King, he gon' bet on the block
He wanna ball 'til he fall or 'til the federals knock
And sit his ass on a bench for movin' careless with rock
You can't relate, 'less your father was not around
And your mother went out and found someone else and then brought them 'round
And they salaries then combine, when they married, it brought you out
Of that poverty, then you moved to a soft little part of town
So that when you back in the hood, you feel awkward about it now (Damn)
And your confidence start to drown
But the rappin' gave you some positive thoughts, and you jot 'em down
You jot 'em down