feat. Black Thought, Steve G's



[Chorus]

Yo, they got us locked down, in a cell under the ground

Tryin' to push for a mainstream sound

Yo, they got us locked down, in a cell under the ground

Tryin' to push for a mainstream sound

Every artist locked down, in a cell under the ground

Tryin' to push for a mainstream sound

Every rapper locked down, in a cell under the ground

Tryin' to push for a mainstream sound



[Dice Raw]

Man, it used to feel like hip-hop had a lock on my soul

And a deal was the only way I'd get parole

I got knocked years ago when I wrote my first rhyme

Ever since then, I been locked down doin' time

Payin' dues with a lot to gain, but more to lose

I play the game, but they keep changin' the rules

The studio's a holding cell for lyrical criminals

Doing demo tapes, hold mics like shanks

Battlin', that's like a fight in the yard

Lines chase niggas down like Lieutenant Gerard

But I love it there, and some say that I'm institutionalized

Freestyling's our only form of exercise

I don't lift weights, lift my mind to a higher state

If your shit's wack, you just can't relate

I have nightmares of bein' back on the streets

But when I wake up in my cell, I feel relief

Bein' on tour is like bein' transferred to jail

And the companies reattempt to boost your sales

In my last case, they came at me with a deal

The D.A., I mean A