Like Toy Soldiers

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left 
We all fall down... 

[Chorus] 
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left 
We all fall down like toy soldiers 
Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win 
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers 

[Verse 1] 
I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure 
Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders 
I am never supposed to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it 
Even if it means goin' toe to toe with a Benzino it don't matter 
I'd never drag them in battles that I can handle unless I absolutely have to 
I'm supposed to set an example 
I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em 
If some shit ever just pop off, I'm supposed to be beside 'em 
Now Ja said "I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it" 
There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it 
I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it 
It was crazy, this shit be way beyond some Jay-z and Nas shit 
And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it 
I spent too much energy on it, honestly I'm exhausted 
And I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it 
This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, it's not why I got in it 
That was never my object for someone to get killed 
Why would I wanna destroy something I help build 
It wasn't my intentions, my intentions was good 
I went through my whole career without ever mentionin' (?) 
Now it's just out of respect for not runnin' my mouth 
And talkin' about something that I knew nothing about 
Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn't my beef 
So I did, I just fell back, watched and gritted my teeth 
While he's all over t.v. down talkin' a man who literally saved my life 
Like fuck it i understand this is business 
And this shit just isn't none of my business 
But still knowin' this shit could pop off at any minute cuz 

[Chorus] 

[Verse 2] 
There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme 
And wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin' 
But now it's elevated cuz once you put someone's kids in it 
The shit gets escalated, it ain't just words no more is it? 
It's a different ball game, callin' names and you ain't just rappin' 
We actually tried to stop the 50 and Ja beef from happenin' 
Me and Dre had sat with him, kicked it and had a chat with him 
And asked him not to start it he wasn't gonna go after him 
Until Ja started yappin' in magazines how we stabbed him 
Fuck it 50 smash 'em, mash 'em and let him have it 
Meanwhile my attention is pullin' in other directions 
Some receptionist at The Source who answers phones at his desk 
Has an erection for me and thinks that I'll be his ressurection 
Tries to blow the dust off his mic and make a new record 
But now he's fucked the game up cuz one of the ways I came up 
Was through that publication the same one that made me famous 
Now the owner of it has got a grudge against me for nothin' 
Well fuck it, that mutherfucker can get it too, fuck him then 
But I'm so busy being pissed off I don't stop to think 
That we just inherited 50's beef with Murder Inc. 
And he's inherited mine which is fine ain't like either of us mind 
We still have soldiers that's on the front line 
That's willing to die for us as soon as we give the orders 
Never to extort us, strictly to show they support us 
We'll maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in a chorus 
To show them we love 'em back and let 'em know how important it is 
To have run ya nav and who sulked us up in our corners 
Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is 
But I ain't tryna have none of my people hurt and murdered 
There ain't words that I can't think of a perfecter way to word it 
Then to just say that I love ya'll too much to see the virdict 
I'll walk away from it all before I let it go any further 
But don't get it twisted, it's not a plea that I'm coppin' 
I'm just willin' to be the bigger man 
If ya'll can quit poppin' off at your jaws with the knockin' 
Cuz frankly I'm sick of talkin' 
I'm not gonna let someone elses coffin rest on my conscience cuz 

[Chorus]