Text: Kendrick Lamar. Faith.

Cloud 9
Kendrick Lamar

I take a sip of Hennessy and then get pissy drunk
I ain't a drinker, I'm a thinker, call it what you want
But if you turn your back, know that you just missed your chance
To witness the realest shit that's ever been known to men
I found myself losing focus at a Sunday service
Embarrassed so I start questioning God, "What is my purpose?"
He said to live the way he did, that's all he want from me
Spread the word and witness, he rose on the first Sunday
I said alright, enthused that my lord gave a listen
I opened my Bible in search to be a better Christian
And this from a person that never believed in religion
But shit, my life is so fucked up, man; I can't help but give in
I'm giving testimonies to strangers I never met
Hopped on the poor pit and told them how I was truly blessed
Felt like I'm free from all my sins when the service was over
Walked out the church, then got a card that my homie was murdered
Then lost my faith again

[Chorus]

Single black parent from Compton raising children of 4
That's 4 innocent bastards cause Papa, they don't know
Her day consists of working back and forth with babysitters
Can't find no one to watch her kids, so she pay her sister
Her baby daddy ain't 'bout shit, that nigga ain't 'bout shit
Spilt his daughter milk just to cop a new outfit
She pray to God every night hoping that he'll mature
And maybe one day his kids, something that he'll live for
Baby wanna go back to school but she need some help
Because it's hard trying to pay the bills when you by yourself
She thought about credit card scams, until she heard a voice
It said the Devil is a lie, make a better choice
And so it's back to McDonald's and every month dealing
With those crazy ass people at the county building
Looked to the heavens and asked them to make a better way
Then got a letter in the mail, lost her section 8
Then lost her faith again

[Chorus]

I had dreams of holding a 9 milla to raise killa
X and Y's, my eyes fill up
Each day it gets more realer, orangutan's bang like gorillas
It's jungle when the nigga's ensue
The rat's lurking, the vulture's circling the surface
Cat's lying through they teeth, my nigga didn't deserve it
I flirted with the ideal of caressing the steel
To make karma come faster then she normally will
It's ill to see my faith try and leave me
It's so hard to get it, to get rid of it, it's easy
I'm tryna reach cloud 9, that's what my nigga's 'bout
But it never rain in California, unless the pistols is out
Until then, my feet planted on the ground, shadowboxing my conscience
Until my faith start responding, and if I get no answer, just know I tried
I should have never looked into His Son's eyes

[Chorus]

This for my people that stressing whenever time's is hard
Your mind's slipping, wondering, "Is there really a God?"
Knowing you shouldn't think that way and trying to freeze your brain
But whenever there's pain, that feeling forever remains
We can't believe what we can't see and reality seems stronger than prayer
Cause you tried to change your life, and now you live in a wheelchair
And your son was born with cancer and he live in urgent care
At the tender age of 12, and you feel that no one cares
Searching for answers, that's human nature, you ain't in the wrong
Just know when you feeling that way there's (?) in the roll
I watched people I know pray and catch the Holy Ghost
And wonder why I ain't ever caught that feeling before
Maybe they know him better, or I don't know no better
Well, what I do know, is that he's real and he lives forever
So the next time you feel like your world?s about to end
I hope you studied because he?s testing your faith again

I?d rather not live like there isn?t a God
Then die and find out there really is
Think about it