"Stepping Stone"

It's 2002, everything was totally new 
We were globally huge, watchin' sales go through the roof 
We wrote and we viewed it, Runyon Avenue soldiers included 
A multitude of homies who would bounce for no good excuse 
We were so bulletproof—wrote, souped and soaked in our youth 
Thought we was runnin' shit 'til we lost the sole of our shoe 
The death of Doody broke us in two 
We were thrown for a loop, ain't none of us know what to do 
And at the time I was goin' through my own struggles too 
So I wasn't in no condition to be coachin' us through 
Everyone tried to go solo, really nobody blew 
I was hopin' they do so I ain't have to shoulder the group 
The plan was put everyone in position so that they knew 
How to stand on they own and I don't want to open up wounds 
I just noticed the oomf was gone when we go in the booth 
'Cause the truth is, the moment that Proof died, so did the group


 
If I could leave this world behind 
I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line 
Turn to the river with you 
Help me leave this all behind 

I'ma wash away my sins 
I'ma rinse away this dirt 
I forgot to make amends 
To all the friends I may have hurt 
I better stop and say my grace 
From that I pray that I don't fall 
'Cause on the way back down I may 
May end up runnin' back into them all 
I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones 

It was never the same, and it's bothered me since 
And the farther we drift apart, the more awkward it gets 
The more time goes by, the more life happens 
And we gotta be men, we got responsibilities 
Plus we don't say how we feel, and I feel like this is what got us in 
The debacle we're in, been with you guys thick and thin 
But it's almost as if sometimes we're not even friends 
Which reminded me Biz, Rockstar was the shit 
Y'all coulda got you a hit without me on the shit 
If you've put D12 on it, wish I coulda did 
More than try talkin' you into comin' up off of it 
I know it wasn't my fault, but part of it probably is 
I think of all of the trips to BET and the rappers 
I wish that we woulda politicked with 
Maybe y'all coulda clicked and got you some features 
But that's water under the bridge 
But I'm washin' my sins in it 'til my conscious is clear


 
If I could leave this world behind 
I could open up my eyes and walk in a straight line 
Turn to the river with you 
Help me leave this all behind 

I'ma wash away my sins 
I'ma rinse away this dirt 
I forgot to make amends 
To all the friends I may have hurt 
I better stop and say my grace 
From that I pray that I don't fall 
'Cause on the way back down I may 
May end up runnin' back into them all 
I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones 

Bacardi in hand, never thought the party would end 
One minute you're bodyin' shit, but then your audience splits 
You can already sense the climate is startin' to shift 
To these kids you no longer exist 
Went from rainin' cats and dogs in this bitch 
To tiny drops full of drips 
And by the time your reign is over, you'll hardly be missed 
You start thinkin' of all the artists you gift, all the carnage you left 
Is this the kinda Karma you get 
For turnin' your fuckin' back on Bizzy, Kuniva and Swift? 
A Freudian slip, subconsciously, I honestly wished 
I ain't feel so much guilt and y'all didn't harbor resentment 
But it's hard to pretend that y'all ain't got none of this 
Wish I had words 

But I guess they're just honored for this 
Still, my point is I just can't say how sorry I am 
This is not how I planned for our story to end 
I love all of you, men 
But I just can't be the guy 
Everybody depends on for entire careers 
'Cause that's not even fair 
I will always be here, but that spark isn't there 
And I don't know how to recapture that time and that air 
I've tried hearkening back to but I'm fightin' for air 
I'm barely chartin' myself 
Feels like I'm under the sink, but it was not my intent— 

To treat y'all like a stepping stone 
Though I ain't left no one behind, but we been down every road 
Done all we possibly can, I know we kept our hopes up 
But the longer we spend livin' this lie that we live 
The less is left for closure, so let's let this go 
It's not goodbye to our friendship, but D12 is over 

I'ma wash away my sins 
I'ma rinse away this dirt 
I forgot to make amends 
To all the friends I may have hurt 
I better stop and say my grace 
From that I pray that I don't fall 
'Cause on the way back down I may 
May end up runnin' back into them all 
I never meant to use you all as my stepping stones 
I never meant to make you feel like my stepping stones 
I never meant to use you all for my stepping stones