"Hate the price of fame ´cause it costs too much" (yeah boy)
"And you lame niggaz talk too much" (yeah)
"I´m ready for whatever, somebody better tell ´em" (yeah boy)
"I said I´m ready for whatever, hey hey"

[Verse 1]
Even though my head in the clouds, my planet on the pavement
How I´m walking around, people stand and amaze me
And I play a lot of game on where I be and I ain´t playing with it
They so judgmental, everyday they don´t understand
If your life was in jeopardy, everyday is you telling me
You wouldn´t need weaponry just because of your felony
Consider this at least, I got everybody sweating me
On the streets is people who won´t rest unless I rest in peace
Killed my folk a year ago, still in my sleep they threaten me
Paranoia stressing me, ain´t nobody protecting me
I´m dealing with the pressure from my partner dying next to me
Think ´cause no one´s arrested, they coming for me eventually
This was all the things I was going through mentally
This could be the reason I ignored the penitentiary
Now mention them New Orlean niggaz coming in the city
Killing all summer long, ain´t nobody paying attention

[Interlude]
Now is it that hard to understand if you listen
Either die or go to jail, that´s a hell of a decision
But I´m wrong and I know that my excuses aren´t important
I´m just tryna let you know that I ain´t think I had a choice

[Chorus]
I had straps in my ride, gotta go to prison
You´re waiting on me to die, you´re gonna be waiting for a minute
Ready for whatever, somebody better tell ´em
I´ll be here when the smoke clears and everythin settles, for real
Can´t afford the price of fame ´cause it costs too much
Plus these sucker niggaz lame and they talk too much
Ready for whatever, somebody better tell ´em
I´ll be here when the smoke clears and everythin settles, for real

[repeat + ad-libs]
For real

[Verse 2]
I´m a man, I ain´t perfect, gotta admit it I´m guilty
But understand, feel me how I ride filthy
´cause niggaz out there plot to rob me and kill me
500 thousand every year spent on security
And my future walk bright, but now it´s getting blurry
´cause niggaz in the air ready to find me and bury me
But surely, God will deliver me up out it
I´m a fighter to the heart and I forever be about it
I´m a father to my sons, and sit to my community
Look at all that I done, my good weigh the negativity
Mentally, I was focused on not letting history repeat itself,
That´s why heat was kept in that vicinity
"Yes officially I broke the law but not maliciously"
Through all of the publicity, was anybody considering
My position and the logic came from my decision
"But they caught me with it, now I´m off to prison, period"

[Interlude]
But is it that hard to understand if you listen
Either die or go to jail, that´s a hell of a decision
But I´m wrong and I know that my excuses aren´t important
I´m just tryna let you know that I ain´t think I had a choice

[Chorus]

[repeat + ad-libs]
For real

[T.I. talking ´til song fades]