HandleLife Story

(Jnat, you know that)

HandleLife Story

Welcome, everybody

Yeah

Detention after school 'cause I never followed rules

Was a good kid at home, so my mama was confused

I just wanted shoes, tryna keep up with the crew

How'd y'all get everything new? I'm from the same place as you

Decisions I would choose that could put me in the news

Ever since a juv', I been tryna shake the boys in blue

I had to handle life before I learned how to shoot

If my daddy ever knew the trouble I'd get into, woo

I was just a youth, God, I gotta thank you

Instead of going to jail, they threw a bracelet on my ankle

And I loved to hoop but didn't have the coach to play for

Everybody knew I kept a handle on the string though

Waking up my neighbors pretending I'm in the Staples

A.I. was my favorite, but Kobe showed me what great is

I could really make it if I turn some better grades in

Friends I loved to hang with didn't help me bring no As in

And I had to work way harder 'cause I'm Haitian

Couldn't stop my hesitation, droppin' thirty on probation

Coach Kevin from the Blazers helped me change my situation

I could've been one of them cases that ain't make it to graduation

(Yeah) Mama told me I'm worth it, uh

A lil' pain won't hurt you

I practiced 'til it's perfect

And that's why I deserve it, yeah

Kicked outta school in the eighth, said I was a waste of talent

Hood kid in suburban school, was a major challenge

Gave 'em thirty, but late for class, that's a burpee

I stopped at 7-Eleven to purchase myself a Slurpee

Then ninth grade I'm on the varsity team

In the starting lineup, that's the start of the dream

Parents didn't like me as the star of the scene

Seem like they'd always dim me down when I would partially beam

So tenth grade I tried private school

Coach ain't really like me, and I ain't really rock with dude

I barely played a minute, no sweat in my follicles

Attitude was changing, temper slightly volatile

I'm on the move again now, school with my friends now

Bussin' to the slums though, boy, I'm with the get down

Back up in my habitat, this where all the action at

A scholarship to Weber State, then David Stern passed the hat

No cap

(Yeah) Mama told me I'm worth it, uh

A lil' pain won't hurt you

I practiced 'til it's perfect

And that's why I deserve it, yeah

First semester as a freshman, I'm out the hood, what a blessing

You know I can't wait 'til that financial aid check hit

I'm going to the gym way before breakfast

No talking to my best friends, I'm working on excellence

Still ain't get no playing time 'cause they was puttin' Seth in

But Liberty was still winning like Davidson and Stephen

My handles was the best then, pull up and make the net bend

Coach said, "You'll never check in if you don't know the Os and Xs"

I gotta perfect this, flickin' up the left wrist

Goin' to the league the only goal that's on my check list

Buy Mama a Lexus, matching pearl necklace

Either that or it's back to the block playin' Tetris

When I hurt the knee, I was still chasin' the dream

Crossover too mean to be a regular breed

Instead of makin' the squad, I end up coaching the team, yeah

Business started boomin', I'm on the phone with Cuban

Training out in Dallas, handle life for the Mavericks

Coach still nasty, I was scrimmagin' at practice

Anything can happen from the couch to the mattress

More to the story, I'm just finishing the chap'

(Yeah) Mama told me I'm worth it, uh

A lil' pain won't hurt you

I practiced 'til it's perfect

And that's why I deserve it, yeah