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't 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 the Ja shit 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 helped 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 he 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 resurrection 
 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 Runion Avenue Soldiers 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 
 It ain't worth it I can't think of a