Now shit's constantly hot, on my block, it never fails to be gunshots Can't explain a mother's pain, when her son drops Black male slipping in hail when will we prevail Fearing jail but crack sales got me living well And the system's suicidal with this Thug's Life Staying strapped forever trapped in this drug life God help me, cause I'm starving, can't get a job So I resort to violent robberies, my life is hard Can't sleep cause all the dirt make my heart hurt Put in work and shed tears for my dead peers Mislead from childhood where I went astray Till this day I still pray for a better way Can't help but feel hopeless and heartbroke From the start I felt the racism cause I'm dark Couldn't quit the bullshit make me represent Hit the bar and played the star, everywhere I went
[Chorus w/ minor variations]
[Verse Three] And I can't help but wonder why, so many young kids had to die Caught strays from AK's and the driveby Swollen pride and homicide, don't coincide Brothers cry for broken lives, mama come inside Cause our block is filled with danger Used to be a close knit community but now we're all cold strangers Time changes us to stone them crack pipes All up and down the block exterminating black life But I can't blame the dealers My mama's welfare check has brought the next man chrome wheels Shit's real, I know ya feel, my tragedy A single mother with a problem child, daddy free Hanging out picking up game, sipping cheap liquor Gamin the hoochies hoping I can get to sleep with her It's a man's world, staying strapped Fantasies of a nigga living phat, but held back
[Chorus w/ minor variations]
Yo, there's brothers on the block, posted up like they own it That's they corner, from New York to California Got blocks locked down Like, "dog you safe whenever you with me, see this is my town" So the youngsters, grows in ghettos, goes to prison At an early age, already know it's against him So in order for him to survive, one day he must Open up his eyes to the set backs and rise 'Cause, everybody wants a shot, in this land of opportunity Look at what this country's got There shouldn't be nobody homeless How can the president fix other problems when he ain't fixed home yet The earth wasn't made for one man to rule alone To all colors increases, to home it belongs I want land, mansions, banks and gold The diamonds in Africa, oil in my control The world's natural resources, all its residuals But then comes foes, I have to gaurd it with missels And I become the most wanted But is it worth hearin a million people problems and followed by Secret Service I guess, attempts at my life with loaded barrels So move over Colin Powell or just throw in the towel, yo