It's been a long way, but I made it here with love I made it here with love, love Said I've been and up and down and I've been through it all Took a while to know my heart Oh, yes, it did, yeah Before love like this, you go Through the fire and valley lows But if you just hold on Please hold on 'cause love is strong, it'll save yah Oh, please hold on, it'll save yah, save yah Truth can be the sweetest pain It can mess up everything It's the only way you know I'm payin' for it, I'm changin' for it Oh, oh, and it hurts But I'll make it work 'Cause I'm no beginner I'm a winner, paid dues, I know my purpose Thought they'd put my life on hold But I knew somethin' they didn't know I know myself too much to ever fold Dark clouds are movin' past you Oh, you gotta love yourself If you really wanna be with someone else You gotta feed yourself Before you feed somebody else You gotta stay open, and don't be foolish 'Cause everybody don't mean you well You gotta love yourself Before you love somebody else Yeah, gotta love yourself Uh, you know what I'm sayin'? I decided not to use my color as a handicap He a designer, artist, producer, and he rap Never found virtue from patience In a dark room just pacin' Precious time is just wastin' You do not know what we facin' I cannot be complacent In my job, be courageous Another kid just got shot They can't find the assailant Made it out of the basement Made it out of the underground From a time where you outta town They might gun you down, blaow There goes another round, blaow There goes another round Came from the Chi and wow, look what the fuck they found A young legend, comin' to shut the summer down You need to talk to me like you don't when your mother 'round Oh, you gotta love yourself, oh yeah If you really wanna be with someone else You gotta feed yourself Before you feed somebody else You gotta stay open, and don't be foolish 'Cause everybody don't mean you well You gotta love yourself (you gotta love yourself) Before you love somebody else I don't feel no one's time Can't get restless in the soul Hold your heart, the world is cold Keep singin', don't you stop prayin', woman Yeah, it will come to pass Don't worry 'bout nothin' God knows that you're worth it You deserve it, can't nothin' else hurt you Thought they'd put my life on hold But I knew somethin' they didn't know I know myself too much to ever fold Dark clouds are movin' past you Oh, you gotta love yourself, oh yeah If you really wanna be with someone else You gotta feed yourself Before you feed somebody else You gotta stay open, and don't be foolish 'Cause everybody don't mean you well You gotta love yourself (you gotta love yourself) Before you love somebody else (somebody else)