Shoulda Known (feat. JGivens)

[Christon Gray]
And the heat is rising
Everything inside is screaming: Turn around now
Just run and hide
But I've been doing that for my whole life
And it's now or never
I said it's now or never

I come in peace
Feeling like Michael Corleone when he dropped his piece
I thought I burned that house, so I tossed the keys
I must've never lost the pics 'cause they're haunting me
Autumn leaves, uh
My DM's like a Slip'n'Slide
I need it like a needle, I can't sleep at night
Hedonism, I didn't heed advice
Now I'm in the fetal, dang, Pops was right
I was like a kid in a candy store
A sour one, couldn't find what I was lookin' for
I grew up wanting to sing and rep the Gospel
You keep your nose clean when you grow up Penecostal
Found a new way 'cause that was hard to follow
This was easier to taste, but hard to swallow
Like you leave the buffet, feeling weak and hollow
So I ran to a legend like there's no tomorrow
I shoulda known

I shoulda known better (shoulda known)
I shoulda known better (yeah, I shoulda known better, uh)
I shoulda known better (yeah, I shoulda known better, uh)
I shoulda known
Better than to come back (here)
Known better than to come back (here)
Uh uh, uh, known better than to (come back here)
Yeah (come back here)

Yeah, my idol said I'm Lauryn Hill
Then I woke up to a record deal
A fresh start'll take my mind of the sex appeal
I still want the women, but I'll let 'em chill
I guess it was a pipe dream
Made it to the league, not the right team
They shoulda known ain't another artist like me
And I came from a genre that don't like me
Wifey left and I couldn't go get her
Too focused on tryna be a tone setter, uh
By the time I could see the whole set-up
The label fell apart and my home was no better, uh
So glad I could call on my brother
We made a whole album and he let me keep the money
So sad that I lost Mya's mother
And even though we moving on, I'm always gonna love her, yeah ya'll

I shoulda known better (Jesus, uh)
I shoulda known better (I shoulda known, uh)
I shoulda known better (I shoulda known)
I shoulda known
Better than to (come back here)
Oh Lord, I, I know better, yo (come back here)
Uh huh, know better (come back here)
Oh oh, (come back here)

J

[JGivens]
Overall, I had a blast, even last year
No regrets, just passing here
And I ain't exiting to come back
I ain't been booked in like 2 months
And half the check-ins spent half the check, yeah
And I knew this whole thing was gon' be tentative
I seen a pretty penny payed for some penitence
I seen people judge people be enemies
Be friends then different and then be friends again
And say that's forgiveness, but that's an industry I was committed in
That's how Christian rap get dividends
That's some new friends, you get what you got
I knew from the get-go that my cousin was finna pop
So in seven years, some people will love you just to leverage it
Don't look too long that those with limited celebrities
Sittin' next to this puppy to keep it real
Can't depend on record deals, I'm here switching careers
Sending resumés

[Christon Gray]
I shoulda known better than to come back here
But come to think of it, nobody's even home
I see the writing on the wall
It's your name