They Put Vents

Pulled the blueprints, filed a FOIA
Got the receipts back, man, the truth was colder
HVAC in the admin wing, top of the line
HEPA filters for the suits while we doin' time
Warden’s office got a thermostat, two vents, and a view
Our cell got a slot and a whole lotta stew
Of whatever the fat guard ate last night
We coughin' up decades under fluorescent light
I asked the state, "why we breathin' mold?"
They said "budget cuts" while their coffee stayed cold

Hook
They put vents in the warden’s office
But we can’t breathe
They put vents in the warden’s office
And they told us to believe
In justice, in rehab, in a system that’s clean
While we dyin' slow behind a screen
They put vents in the warden’s office
Where the air is free

Verse 2
Oreo used to tap the wall, three taps for "you good?"
I tap back twice, "we’re breathin' wood"
'Cause the walls sweat in the summer, freeze in the fall
And the only circulation is the guard’s lunch call
Meanwhile up top, they got climate control
Minutes from the meeting 'bout "inmate goals"
Goal one: survive the shift
Goal two: don’t inhale your neighbor’s shit
Goal three: remember your name when the air gets thick
'Cause dignity left when the vents got picked

Hook
They put vents in the warden’s office
But we can’t breathe
They put vents in the warden’s office
And they told us to believe
In justice, in rehab, in a system that’s clean
While we dyin' slow behind a screen
They put vents in the warden’s office
Where the air is free

Bridge – Spoken, like Pac on "Changes"
You ever try to sleep when the room got no wind?
When the only breeze is the lies they feed you again?
They ventilate the paperwork, but not the pain
Stamp "case closed" while we gaspin' in chains
Oreo didn’t die from the fart, he died from the floor
From the four walls that never kept score
So nah, we don't want sorry. We want air.

Verse 3
2040 and I’m back with the boombox
Outside the same prison, kids in the box
Of a TikTok frame, they chantin' Oreo’s name
Warden comes out, says "son, the system's not to blame"
I said "I see your vents, I see your trees"
"We see your office at 72 degrees"
"You got a filter for dust but not for doubt"
"So we gon' stand here 'til the whole world breaks out"
Of this breathin' debt we never signed for
'Cause y'all can kill a joke, but you can't kill what we dyin' for

Hook – Choir + Luna
They put vents in the warden’s office
But we can’t breathe
They put vents in the warden’s office
And they told us to believe
In justice, in rehab, in a system that’s clean
While we dyin' slow behind a screen
They put vents in the warden’s office
Where the air is free

Outro – 2Crap
Sound of a vent kickin' on, then silence
If you hearin' this, take a breath.
Then give one away.
For Oreo.

Rap, male singer, Dreamy, Energetic, Hopeful, Inspirational, Female Vocals, Male Vocals, Rap Vocals