Got to make this money, cause it sure don't grow on trees
That was my ignorant stupid thinking when I used my body to please

I really didn't care enough about me to put myself in check
Till I got myself together and gained much needed self-respect

I used to be out on the corner faithfully 
trying to make that almighty dollar bill
That powerful entity between a womens legs 
can move a man to kill

My street name was Barbie, cause I painted myself up so nice 
I looked like a work of art
So fake so phony, I could have been an actor 
cause I truly played the part

Didn't have a pimp I played this game solo, 
didn't need anyone telling me what and who to do
10 clients gets me about 500 dollars 
i'm satisfied then my night's thru

The block stays hot betta keep an eye out for the MAN 
or you'll sure nuff get locked down
That's where it gets tricky cause some of them are clients too, 
but to know that you'd have to been around

17 y/o with over 2g's in my pocket, 
had all my friends jealous of me
Did I feel good about what I was doing?...
Of course not but I was to blind to see

New clothes, new shoes, own apartment,
I was living the life, I felt I had it made
But my self-esteem was nonexistent, 
inside I was starting to fade

One particular evening, I was on the block as usual, 
trying to make that money
Something wasn't right, my heart gave me a warning, 
I started to feel funny

I was usually pretty good about things like this, 
I told the other girls we should just leave and call it a night
They thought I was crazy, I decided to leave they wanted to stay, 
so I said well alright

I was halfway down the block when I heard tires screech 
on this big black van that stopped right in front of where the girls were
I ran behind a building while I heard a man with a deep voice scream 
everyone get in or I will kill all you...my mind begin to blur

I felt like my heart was gonna beat out of my chest, 
then I heard the tires screech away, 
I was so terrified I stayed behind that building for hours...
till I began to see the light of day.

I forced myself off the ground, and soon as I got the feeling back in my legs
I sprinted all the way to my place
Locked all the locks, then fell down to the floor, 
while the tears streamed down my face

I knew I was killing myself, but it took this extreme 
for me to care and understand
that my life was worth much more than this slow mental and physical death, 
that would be caused by my own hands

I stopped going to the corner, I stopped having sex altogether, 
The bible says your body is a temple
Moved in with my grandparents, left the apt, new clothes and shoes, 
I started to live my life simple

I found out I was pregnant from one of my encounters, 
couldn't believe I was about to have a child
So I HAD to get my life straight for me and my kid, 
I completely abandoned that old lifestyle

Nowadays you can catch me from 9 to 5 at work, 
still making that paper legally
Yeah it's hard, i'm struggling but i'm making it work, 
i'm taking pride in just being able to be me

The girls who were on the corner that night, 
who got taken in that black van
their bodies were found 2 days later, 
and they never arrested that man

Every day I think that could have been me, 
I shed tears for each and every one of them that died
It all starts with how you feel about yourself from the inside out...
you have to have that sense of pride

You're worth much more than you could ever believe, 
love yourself, accept the imperfections, 
Just remember to never sell yourself short 
because of ignorant imperfect perceptions...

And that's real....