Before we go any further, friends

As you call ‘em they call you when they need somethin’
Trees for the blunt, two G's for the front
I found a way to get peace of mind for years and left the hell alone
Turn a deaf ear to the cellular phone

Send me a letter or better, we could see each other in real life
Just so you could feel me like a steel knife
At least so you could see the white of their eyes
Bright with surprise once they finish spittin’ lies

***ociates, is your boys, your girls, *****es, *****z, homies?
Close, but really don't know me
Mom, dad, comrade, peeps, brothers, sisters, duns, dunnies
Some come around when they need some money

Others make us laugh like the Sunday funnies
Fam be around whether you paid or bummy
You could either ignore this advice or take it from me
Be too nice and people take you for a dummy

So nowadays he ain't so friendly
Actually they wouldn't even made a worthy enemy
Read the signs, no feeding the baboon
Seein’ as how they got your back bleeding from the stab wounds

Y'all know the dance, they smile in your face, y'all know the glance
Try ta put 'em on, they blow the chance
Never let your so-called mans know your plans
How many of us have them? A show of hands

Friends is a term some people use loosely
I'm real choosy on what I choose to let crews see
You telling me, I try to act broke
Jealousy, the number one killer among black folk

Fellas be under some type of spell like crack smoke
Ghetto Cinderellas, lead 'em right to your stack, loc
Just another way a chick'll lead to your end
I check the dictionary for the meanin’ of ‘Friends’

It said, person, one who likes to socialize with
Sympathize and help her and that's about the size of it
Most of the time these attributes is one-sided
To bolster the crime they opt to shoot you through your eyelid

And they can't hide it goin’ wild like a white *****
Sometimes you need to cut *****z off like a light switch
Click, and when things get quiet
Catch 'em like a thief in the night, bow, what a riot

I first met Mister Fantastik at a arms deal
Don't let it get drastic, think of how your moms will feel
When it get for real the steel get to sparkin’
Everything darken and ain't no talkin’

For somethin’ so cheap it sure buys a lot of trouble
You better off focusing than tryin’ to plot the bubble
Or else it'd be a sad note to end on, the guns we got
One's we can depend on, friends

Some come in the form of co-dependence
A lotta times only end up bein’ co-defendants
Ten bucks say they’ll tell for a lower sentence
And leave you up under the jail beggin’ for a penance

It don't make no sense, what happened to the loyalty?
Honor amongst crooks, trust amongst royalty
I'd rather go out in a blaze, than give 'em the glory
How many of us have a similar story, friends?

Before lovers we used to have some type of over standing
Just so when I let her get the man-thing she know it’s no strings
We could do the damn thing but, hoe, it’s no rings
Just how the tramp swings, will she see 'em again?

That depends on how good was the skins
And could she memorize the lessons
It ain't no need to pretend
Even though she let 'em stab it, she know they just, friends

Friends, how many of us have them?
Friends, ones we can depend on?
Friends, how many of us have them?
Friends, before we go any further