PROM / KING - SABA

This remind me of before we had insomnia

Sleepin' peacefully, never needed a pile of drugs

Everybody was college-bound, no dollar amounts

In God we trust, senior year my prom ain’t had no party bus

My cousin hit me on Facebook, like «What shorty you takin'?»

I’m lyin', I’m playin', I’m sayin', «I got one to take,"and I’m waitin' on her

response

Wrote her a 3 page letter, it’s 3 days later, never hit me back,

she broke my heart

So now he I’m’ing me shit like, «Yo' is shorty bad?»

I pretend not to be depressed, she never wrote me back

I hit him back like «Yo', well fuck her, it’s on to the next»

I wrote that message thinkin' I’m awkward, prolly' would never have sex

You know in high school, 16 you prolly late

My cousin hit me back, «Don't trip, bro.

I got you a date.»

So he sent me this link to some girl I had never seen

He said to call and tell her «Walter sent you, you with me.»

I think about it for a minute, like what’s his intentions?

I mean, we never really got along or used to kick it

In fact, if I remember vividly, he picked on me

He used to beat me up and take my sneakers every family visit

I’m skeptical to let her know I’m Walter little cousin

What if this shit all a joke, then again, what if it wasn’t?

Would I really risk the chance of me potentially fuckin'

On some stranger daughter 'cause I barely know if I can trust him?

Prolly not

I finally called her, tell her Walter sent me, «My name Tahj»

She asked me what’s the color scheme that we gon' wear to prom

I’m actin' like I’m not excited, tryna play it off

«So what’s the car we’re takin'?""Worst come worst, my mom can take us»

I’ll call Walter, thank him, he said don’t trip and just wear black

He said she cool and they go back, if any problems, send him back

I never had to, but now we’re in tune

He Facebook messaged me like, «Sorry not to be a nuisance…»

But he like 30 dollars short on all his prom suit shit

I’m like, «I got you, cause.

That’s the least that I can do.»

He tell me send him the addy and he’ll slide after school

I’m like, «Ok, bet,"never knew where he stayed at

He walked down the street, hella surprised, «This where y’all place at?»

Uncle Carl, Auntie Deborah, my cousin Rena

And I’m surprised too, my family knew, kept this a secret

Me and cause stay down the street, living different lives

Everyday he on the bus, me, I get a ride

I gave him 30 on the porch, he never went inside

He tell me, «Thank you,"then he walked back home with a smile

He tryna hide it, but I see his dimple

I’m thinkin', «Damn, that transaction was simple»

I’m talking shit, I know he hoop, I’m like, «Aye, where the rim, bro?»

He like, «Tomorrow, if you free, you prolly weak as shit, tho.»

I know my brother not

So all 3 of us went to the park and ran some niggas off the court

I’m hella passive, I was passin', I ain’t have to score

The next day the prom, I couldn’t sleep, I stayed up

My granddad gave me a condom then walked away, didn’t say nothin'

She hopped out of her car and said that her name was Jada

My heart’s racin', I’m focused, I’m tryna keep it playa

Gave her the croissant, or corsage or whatever the fuck my mom handed me

And said, «Now put it on her hand, Malik», family ties

My grandfather taught me how to tie up a tie 'cause my dad lived in NY

That’s prolly why I was shy, so self-conscious

Took pictures on the porch, and then we headed for the prom and

Walter went on prom the same day, but to a different place

So he text me like, «Cause, this the spot.

Let’s meet up later

And bring Jada through,"prom flashed, I kept it cool

We show up to the function where she brought a change of clothes

I’m lookin' around like, «Damn, I don’t know nobody»

We at this party out West and Jada left to get dressed

I’m fakin' like I’m sendin' text

Some stranger get really close, I swear that I hear his breath

Then he put a knife to my neck

Gave me the run down like, «Jada my sister

And if you hit her, fuck her, make her miss ya, I’ma kill ya!»

At this point, I’m just exhausted

Wonderin' where the fuck’s Walter

He shows up like 30 minutes after our altercation

I never mentioned it to him, he kinda overprotective

And I know if I tell him, that he’ll beat this nigga’s skull in

Turn his body a skeleton, and our night’ll end terrible

I exhale and say, «Fuck it», and I just chose to let it go

(Said you’re used to getting everything your way… this not how that happens

this time, just gotta fuck with your boy?)

Walt went to St. Louis, had a full ride for his hoopin'

Him and his coach got into it, now he back home doin' music, aye

I was at Columbia, a damn near straight A student

I had one B in a hip-hop class, I thought that shit was stupid

He transferred to Robert Morris, always living down the street

My class let out at 2: 40 and his class let out at 3

Mama asked me where the hell I been and where the hell I be

«I'm with Walter, mom, I’m safe"I keep walkin' in here late

I might fall off in your bae, I get girls now, I get laid

I get caught up followin' Walter, I’m a product of my age

He talk to erry' girl in downtown Chicago

Wingman, I cannot fly though

He was in Cal with Impala, he was that nigga in the party

Awfully popular for someone that they barely mention

Plus we from the part of city that they barely mention

Just logged into Twitter and somehow we was barely mentioned

We signed our names on the open mic list and then they skipped us

And then they skipped us again like a week later

Like, obviously this fuckin' host can’t read the paper

Hella' intimidatin', the big guy didn’t have to flex

So Walter walked to the host and said, «This the name you callin' next»

Bullied our way to the stage and then overstayed our welcome

An apple never get too far from the tree that it fell from

Just like my father tryna do music and hope I make it

Walter joined me for the journey said the city waitin'

PIVOT

Walter invincible, dodged death like a mad magician

More times than a mathematician

I’m in LA workin' on Bucket List Project, I get a call and get a fishy feeling

Normally Walt joke on the phone, this time he over serious

My heart droppin', I’m like, «Yo, what is it?!»

He say he with T. Y on the highway and some niggas just tried to kill him

Emptied the clip on the car, but somehow they didn’t hit him

Sometimes I fuckin' hate Chicago, 'cause I hate this feelin'

Innocent niggas get shot at, in the broad day, the A. M

I asked him for a play-by-play of how their whole day went

He said he went to XSport, and they ran a full court

And I can not retort without thinkin' that this can’t be the reason

«So what else you do?

What about Ty?

Is he still cool?

Where you on your way from, and where you on your way to?»

He say he just left for dinner at a friend crib, and that’s it

He say «Ty don’t do shit but smoke, honestly Saba, that’s it»

Give him sympathy, another case of mistaken identity

The news prolly' gon' run this, as two gangs from different streets

Police questionin' him like he just shot at a trooper

My boy walked away unharmed, and we did Lollapalooza, yeah

6 months pass by, everyday we celebrate, everyday a better day

I just dropped Bucket List, Walter 'bout to drop a tape

Everything goin' perfect, couldn’t paint a better way

PIVOT gang is on the way, we just sold out Lincoln Hall

Then I went to talk to Sway

I got back home and got back on it, 'cause Walter was doin' tour dates

Sendin' me links to songs that he made, Kid Cudi, we are not ridin' no waves,

aye

Grandma made us blanket plates, we played 2K, that’s just a day before

Fatimah got a show tomorrow, he text me, «Aye, we in that hoe»

I went to the barbershop, the first thing the next mornin'

Then I got up with Legit, we supposed to do some recordin'

10 minutes into this session, I got a call from a number

That I don’t got saved, but I answer anyways

She says, «Hello, Malik, have you or Squeak

Talked to my son today?

He was just on the train.»

We got in the car, but we didn’t know where to drive to

Fuck it, wherever you are my nigga, we’ll come and find you…

Just another day in the ghetto

Oh, the streets bring sorrow

Can’t get out today with their schedule

I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow

I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow

I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow

I just hope I make it 'til tomorrow