The Valley of the Shadow of Death Songtext
von Mick Jenkins

Give a fuck if yo′ pockets low, we been living lowkey
Wonder how we was popping bottles, this far below the poverty line
Wasn't no avocados but toast was on me
Early, would break fast, was hopping gates, would do the same to pearly

Mistakes add up, some niggas could name the police
Some niggas always need somebody else name on the lease
Some of us struggling to find inner peace, I′m still fighting a beast
I show love, I definitely want it requited at least

The odds stackеd against shorty and despite it she prеach
While I'm smoking my roach, nigga
Been treehugging, tryna widen my reach
More vitamin E, really tryna widen my scope
They tryna tell me my freedom abides in a vote

That died on a boat, son of every water I choke
Most times I get dry before I speak, I die before I spoke
I cry when I see but never ask why 'cause I know
They give a fuck if you fly, we supposed to fly or sell dope


We supposed to give them the keys so they can get in the door
Still had to kick in the door just to get in the door
When he was five and we gon′ call that boy a thug
For the rest of his life, yeah

Yeah, you know I walk through
Everything they taught me
Still feeling groggy
Heavy on the caffeine in my coffee, no Joffrey
I ain′t tiptoeing, that's too costly
I ain′t tiptoeing, that's too costly
Folk don′t get to see themselves too often
Only look at mirrors through the smoke
Everything go rogue, everything's glossy

I fear no evil at all
I pray my closest don′t fold, I know somebody gon' fall
Fuck saving face, I can't keep changing pace to stay up with y′all
This ain′t a race, see niggas running in place to chase waterfalls
I can relate, I can't erase the times when I dropped the ball

Was tryna handle it all, I′m no Kyrie in the least
I had to learn it the harder way, niggas pennies decrease
A couple niggas deceased, I watched some niggas retreat
You ever had a peace treaty with niggas you still don't fuck with?


I started turning my cheek
I had to turn a new leaf on niggas smoking swisher sweets
Was on them backwoods for some weeks
Then I got straight to the paper, my paper straight as a crease
Got paperweights for receipts

Got labelmates we been scammed by the same man, we don′t speak
The neighbors hate, we don't speak
Don′t come to preaching, just practice whatever you was gon' preach
Scratch my back if you reach

Gotta match my joint if you smoking
These niggas will do you like leeches
I'm seeing ghosts like it′s Bleach (Bleach)
I brought my sand to a fire hydrant, created a beach
I put my soul in these beats (soul)

Yeah, you know I walk through
Everything they taught me
Still feeling groggy
Heavy on the caffeine in my coffee, no Joffrey
I ain′t tiptoeing, that's too costly