[Intro: Nas] I want you to close your eyes And vision the most beautiful place in the world If you in the hood on the ghetto street corner Come on this journey The best journey Acres of land and swimming pools and all that Check it out
[Verse 1: Nas] I'm capable of anything, my imagination can give me wings To fly like doves over the streets watching many things Kids walking home from school on drug block missionaries Pass out papers that read: Love God I see faces, cases, judges, and juries, masons, lawyers and cops I watch because every thug's face is my mirror But this was one in particular This kid he was the vintage stick 'em up pro 16 years old, did his jail sentence, nowhere to go Every morning calls his comrade to come and get him to smoke He insane, already gone mad Blames himself for his setbacks Dangerous street corners where it sets at Slang from dust to dawn, detectives act like they maniacs Chasing him, his asthma's flaring Smoking like a chimney, on remy, of course he not caring He need a place to go to keep his mind expanding I give him a helping hand, bring him out to Thugz Mansion
[Hook: J. Phoenix] Every corner, every city There's a place where life's a little easy Little Hennessy, laid back and cool Every hour, cause it's all good Leave all the stress from the world outside Every wrong done will be alright Nothing but peace, love And street passion, every ghetto needs a thug mansion
[Verse 2: 2Pac] Dear momma don't cry, your baby boy's doin good Tell the homies I'm in heaven and they ain't got hoods Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook Drippin peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke Then some lady named Billie Holiday Sang sittin there kickin it with Malcolm, 'til the day came Little LaTasha sho' grown Tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven, so come home Maybe in time you'll understand only God can save us When Miles Davis cuttin lose with the band Just think of all the people that you knew in the past That passed on, they in heaven, found peace at last Picture a place that they exist, together There has to be a place better than this, in heaven So right before I sleep, dear God, what I'm askin Remember this face, save me a place, in thug's mansion
[Hook]
[Verse 3: Nas] A place where death doesn't reside, just thugs who collide Not to start beef but spark trees, no cops rolling by No policemen, no homicide, no chalk on the streets No reason, for nobody's momma to cry See I'm a good guy, I'm trying to stick around for my daughter But if I should die, I know all of my albums support her This whole year's been crazy, asked the Holy Spirit to save me Only difference from me and Ossie Davis, gray hair maybe Cause I feel like my eyes saw too much suffering I'm just twenty-some-odd years, I done lost my mother And I cried tears of joy, I know she smiles on her boy I dream of you more, my love goes to Afeni Shakur Cause like Ann Jones, she raised a ghetto king in a war And just for that alone she shouldn't feel no pain no more Cause one day we'll all be together, sipping heavenly champagne Where angels soar, with golden wings in thug's mansion