What If

Lyrics

[Intro: J. Cole] This for everybody out there that everFell out with somebody you loveFame is a motherfuckerJust to look back and be like (Yeah)"Damn, it didn't have to go like that"YeahWhat if?What if?What if?What if the bullshit never got in the way?You'd still be my nigga to this daySayin' what if?What if?What if?What if the bullshit never got in the way?I'd still have my nigga to this day Uh [Verse 1: J. Cole] What's up, Pac? I heard that record that you did that just droppedIt's bubblin', got me wonderin' when the love stopped"Hit 'Em Up", I'm like, maybe I shouldWrite you before shit go left, the streets is a bit upsetYou claimin' that you fucked my bitch, but, checkInstead of escalatin' At a time when niggas say, "Big, let's decimate 'em"I'm tellin' 'em "Chill'Cause although he violatin', in my heart, I could never hate him"I love you I hope it ain't too late to tell youWhen you got shot, I came to visit you at BellviewBut you was sleepin', they let me peek inI said a prayer by yo' bedside, bandages covered the bleedin' I'm thinkin', "Dawg, I told youWatch the niggas you close to , I know dudesAnd they won't hesitate to smoke you if shit go left" While you was locked, I shoulda wrote you But life happens, promo, mad shows to doStill, no excuse, I didn't do what I was 'posed to And maybe, that's what provoked youTo use your vocals to speak my name with a negative tone As you stared at the walls of that cell on your ownWonder how long it'd be before they'd let you come homeAnd get yo' money, you maybe started lookin' at me funnyPerhaps, you might've felt that I betrayed you or played you Or thought that I knew about that setup and coulda saved you Or maybe that made you come out on some war shitEast Coast, West Coast, now media is tryna force it Of course, it's entertainmentBut the world is full of ignoramus that view the rich and famousAs either heroes or villains with no feelings Not knowin' most drama only leads to mo' killingsWell, fuck that, nigga, I'm hurt I miss my dawg, I ain't gotta hideIf I hurt you, I apologize [Chorus: J. Cole & Morray ] What if?If I can turn back the hands of timeWhat if?Turn back the hands of timeWhat if?What if the bullshit never got in the way? (Ooh, yeah-ah)You'd still be my nigga to this dayI'm sayin, what if?If I can turn back the hands of timeWhat if?Turn back the hands of timeWhat if?What if the bullshit never got in the way? (Ooh-ooh)I'd still have my nigga to this day (Uh) [Verse 2: J. Cole] Today, was goin' to Vegas until I opened yo' letterI cried through all of these pages , been tryin' to get it togetherI'm comin' out to NY , I gotta find you in personTo look you dead in yo' eyes, and let you know I've been hurtin' Been movin' off pure adrenaline, never knowin' for certainWho's on my side and who's obliged for closin' my curtains So, in a mist with clinched fists, I picked up this swordI know there's money in violence, I know there's profit in war But, shit, I felt that you left me to hang, I gave you game "Rap for the bitches," I said, saw you switched up yo' laneYour content resemblin' mine, it brought you fame I didn't complain, I cheered you on with no disdainAnd at the same time, my destiny brought me pain From kickin' it with some venomous niggas, I know, the sameOnes that you warned me 'bout, I ain't listen The trigger squeezed, my paranoia noticed you in the vicinitySo, when they sentenced me Lawyers milked me for every penny, all I had inside that cell was my memoryAnd plus the fear that while I'm gone, they forgettin' me How niggas shoutin' me out, but never visit me? (Hah, nigga?)And as the time creptThat mindset became a mission, you came to represent my oppositionSo when I got out, I chose drama Took the war out and went all out, not carin' about the fallout Suddenly now, I got the mob outPlus a whole side ready to ride Now, I gotta tell 'em stall out'Cause tears fillin' my eyes Your letter helped me understandThe power in love, the choice to be the bigger man Know shit got outta hand, I'll take the blame for it For my mistakes, I couldn't take you gettin' slain for itFor fallin' victim to ego, vengeance, and dollar signsI wanna say, from the heart, I apologize [Chorus: J. Cole & Morray ] What if?If I can turn back the hands of timeWhat if?Turn back the hands of timeWhat if?What if the bullshit never got in the way? (Yeah-ah)You'd still be my nigga to this dayI'm sayin, what if?If I can turn back the hands of timeWhat if?Turn back the hands of timeWhat if?What if the bullshit never got in the way? (Time)We'd still have them niggas to this day [Outro: J. Cole, Morray , Both ] What if? What if? What if? (Now, yeah)What if? What if? What if?What if? What if? What if? (Ooh)What if? What if? What if? (Gee, yeah)What if? What if? What if? (Yeah, un)What if? What if? What if? (Yeah, un)What if? What if? What if? (Dun-dun-dun-dun)What if? What if? What if? (Ah)What if? What if? What if?What if? What if? What if?What if? What if? What if? (What if?)What if? What if? What if? What if?Oh yeahYeah