(Chorus) Step by step, heart to heart, left right left We all fall down, like toy soldiers Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win but the battle wages on for toy soldiers
I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders I ain't never suppose to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it even if it means goin' toe to toe with a Benzino it don't matter I never drag them in battles that I can handle less I absolutely have to I'm supposed to set an example I need to be the leader my crew looks for me ta guide em' if some shit ever does pop off I'm supposed to be beside em' That Ja shit I tried to squash it it was too late to stop it there's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it it was crazy the shit went way beyond some Jay Z and Nas shit And even though the battle was won I feel like we lost it I spent so much energy on it, honestly I'm exhausted and I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it This ain't what I'm in hip hop for that's not why I got in it that was never my object for someone to get killed why would I wanna destroy something I helped build That wasn't my intentions, my intentions were good I went through my whole career without ever mentioning And that was just out of respect for not runnin' my mouth and talking about something that I knew nothing about plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn't my beef so I did, I just fell back watched and gritted my teeth While he's all over tv, down talkin' a man who literally saved my life like fuck it I understand this is business and this shit just isn't none of my business but still knowin' the shit could pop off at any minute cuz
(chorus)
There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme and wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin' but now it's elevated cause once you put someone's kids in it the shit gets escalated It ain't just words no more is it? It's a different ballgame you call names and you ain't just rappin We actually tried to stop the 50 and Ja beef from happenin Me and Dre had sat with him, kicked it and had a chat with him and asked him not to start he wasn't gonna go after him until Ja started yappin' in magazines how he stabbed him Fuck it 50 smash him mash on him and let him have it. Meanwhile my attentions pulled in another direction some receptionist at The Source who answers phones at his desk has an erection for me and thinks that I'll be his resurrection Tries to blow the dust off his mic and make a new record but now he's fucked the game up cause one of the ways I came up was through that publication the same one that made me famous Now the owner of it has got a grudge against me for nothin'? Well fuck it that motherfucker can get it to fuck him then But I'm so busy being pissed off I don't stop to think That we just inherited 50's beef with Murder Inc. and he's inherited mine which is fine, ain't like either of us mind But we still have soldiers that's on the front line who's willing to die for us as soon as we give the orders never to extort us strictly to show they support us And maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in a chorus to show 'em we love 'em back and let 'em know how important it is to have Runyon Avenue, soldiers up in our corners, their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is But I ain't trying to have none of my people hurt or murdered it ain't worth it, I can't think of a perfecter way to word it then to just say I love y'all too much to see the verdict I'll walk away from it all 'fore I let it go any further but don't get it twisted it's not a plee that I'm coppin' I'm just willing to be the bigger man if y'all can quit poppin' Off at the jaws well then I can cause frankly I'm sick of talkin' I'm not gonna let someone else's coffin rest on my conscious cause
