I don't think y'all really understand How much this shit means to me but y'all just I'm back home and y'all just sat through My whole fuckin' entire album and shit That's fuckin' crazy, thank y'all for doing that shit, man I've been plannin' this night for a long time So this shit is crazy to see and like Turning to reality and shit I appreciate y'all for sittin' through this shit I wanna tell y'all some shit about this album So when you leave here tonight I know people were, people been telling me Niggas been playin' the album like crazy and I appreciate it But when we leave here tonight I want y'all to know what this album meant to me So when you're driving home, and you're playing it this week, next week Next year, whenever, you gon' always remember what this shit was about What I had to go out into the world and learn, on my own I've come in here to tell you all tonight This is what this album is about And I'm takin' this message across the fuckin' world, I don't care Here we go When we young and even when we old The world is constantly, constantly pumping us with images And messages about what life is about, right? And what we need to make this happen .In the United States we call it the American Dream, right But what does it always include? A lot of fucking money, a big-ass house, a brand new car A wife that's not even genetically fucking possible to have and shit And bitches, bad bitches too They tell us we need all that to be happy, right So what ends up happening? The world is set up so that ninety-nine per cent of us can't live like that But what do we do? We idolise the people that do live like that, right We call them celebrities, we follow their lives We go, "Aw man, looks so perfect, I wanna be living like them" And I'm comin' here tonight to tell y'all I'm the same dude That was on the other side of the fence, right here in this city Right down the fucking street working at the fucking skating rink Daydreaming Well y'all niggas love the skating rink Daydreaming about this shit like, man, I wanna live like that I wanna have that, right And then I went and got the shit But I'm tellin' y'all this, I'm not saying that it's done I'm sayin' that to say this When I got over there, on that side of the fence And I started to look closer, I'm tellin' y'all That's not fuckin' J. Cole, I'm tellin' y'all, that's Jermaine As I really started to take a closer look at all that shit we want And all of that shit we need that makes us happy I started to see with my own eyes like, wait a minute That shit don't feel right, that shit feel weird And I started to notice that all of that shit that they try to tell us It's all bullshit and it's all wrong And that's not what we need to make us happy I had to go figure that shit out, right, on my own And how do I know that, how do I know that? This is how I know that It's a man right now in the world, he got millions of dollars He got a billion fuckin' dollars, right He got everything that we think we need to be happy He got it, he got the money, he got the cars He got the big-ass crib, three our four of them bitches He got the genetically impossible wife and he got bitches But yeah, this dude is fucking miserable, right He's empty inside, he's miserable But you got a family that come from where we come from From this city right here, worst conditions in the world We come from, they couldn't afford a ticket to this show tonight Because they fuckin' wanted one, right But yeah somehow they got more happiness and joy in their lives right now Than this man will ever fucking have in his life How is that possible? How is that even possible? He got everything they told us we need to be happy And he's miserable and they ain't got shit but they happy What do they got, that he don't got? (Love) What's that? (Love) That's that fuckin' Kamala county public education system right there Coming into play, goddamnit I need everybody to put your cellphones in the sky one time tonight Fayetteville we gonna light this shit up one time Ay yo, niggas dreamin' 'bout this shit Love yourz Love yourz No such thing No such thing as a life that's better than yours No such thing as a life that's better than yours No such thing as a life that's better than yours No such thing, no such thing Heart beatin' fast, let a nigga know that he alive Fake niggas mad, snakes Snakes in the grass let a nigga know that he arrive Don't be sleepin' on you lover 'cause it's beauty in the struggle nigga They go for all y'all It's beauty in the struggle, nigga, let me explain It's beauty in the struggle, ugliness in the success Hear my words or listen to my signal of distress I grew up in the city and though sometimes we had less Compared to some of my niggas down the block, man we was blessed And life can't be no fairytale, no once upon a time I'll be God damned if a nigga don't be tryin' So tell me mama please why you be drinking all the time? Does all the pain he brought you still linger in your mind? Shit 'Cause pain still lingers on mine On the road to riches, listen this is what you'll find The good news is nigga you came a long way The bad news is nigga you went the wrong way You think being broke is better No such thing as a life that's better than yours No such thing as a life that's better than yours No such thing as a life that's better than yours No such thing, no such thing 'Cause what's money without happiness? Or hard times without the people you love Though I'm not sure what's 'bout to happen next I asked for strength from the Lord up above 'Cause I've been strong so far But I can feel my grip loosening Quick, do something before you lose it for good Get it back and use it for good And touch the people how you did like before I'm tired of living with demons 'cause they always inviting more Think being broke was better? Now I don't mean that phrase with no disrespect To all my niggas out there living in debt Cashing minimal checks Turn on the TV, see a nigga Rolex And fantasize about a life with no stress I mean this shit sincerely And that's a nigga who was once in your shoes Living with nothin' to lose I hope one day you hear me Always gon' be a bigger house somewhere, but nigga feel me 'Long as the people in that motherfucker love you dearly Always gon' be a whip that's better than the the one you got Always gon' be some clothes that's fresher than the ones you rock Always gon' be a bitch that's badder out there on the tours But you ain't never gon' be happy 'til you love yours No such thing as a life that's better than yours (Love yourz) No such thing as a life that's better than yours No such thing as a life that's better than yours (love yourz) No such thing, no such thing Heart beatin' fast, let a nigga know that he alive Fake niggas mad, snakes Snakes in the grass let a nigga know that he arrive 2-6 Fayetteville, Fayetteville now I'ma fuckin' love y'all My name is J. Cole, Cole world It's been some legendary shit man Until the next time, goddamnit Peace and love