[Intro: Zo-Zer] Ay, this is life man, niggaz out here talkin rappin about shit you ain't never seen or had no parts in, youknowhatI'msayin? Shit ain't cool man, ay Lo, take 'em where you from
[Chorus: OneBeLo] Let me take you to a place where the sun don't shine Killers don't talk, little kids don't mind Men don't work, don't take care of babies You bought my album but bootleggers don't pay me City runnin wild, cats don't give a fuck Junior High students don't say no to drugs Liquor stores don't ask shorties for their ID This is a place where don't nothin surprise me The ghetto
[OneBeLo] The ghetto, yo.. Now you can get shot, everyday it's a struggle to be alive Mentally, physically, only the strong survive Can't hide from the fact ghettos is filled with blacks (blacks) crack (crack) smack (smack) roaches and rats Thugs totin they gats, this ain't a nice place to visit The people that you live with, hearts cold and frigid That girl over there, don't even bother with her (why?) She's a hoodrat, gold-digger, never had a father figure Her older brother was a big time drug dealer When he was young his role model was a drug dealer Now that he's older, everybody wants to cop a boulder He took a bullet in his head, now he's in a coma (bloaw!) You callin 9-1-1, this ain't a joke You rollin like a blunt cause you might get smoked The sad part about it ain't the money or the dope The trigger man wasn't even old enough to vote
[Chorus]
[Interlude: Zo-Zer] Shit ain't all good in the hood Touch mine, wish a nigga would You knowhatI'msayin? (In the ghetto)
[OneBeLo] Landlords don't do nothin but collect rent Police don't patrol, serve or protect it Brothers don't allow others to hustle on they block Always carry heat cause the beef don't stop And it don't quit, everyday the same shit Hustlin to get you what your job can't get And I ain't even talkin 'bout a Benz or Mercedes (what you talkin about?) I'm talkin about toothpaste, diapers for your babies The basic necessities of life The homeless sleepin in a cardboard box every night The only playgrounds is vacant lots and burned buildings You gotta feel sorry for the children How they gon' do they homework when they homes don't work? They can't read books cause the lights don't work (nope) They can't take a bath cause the water don't work (nope) The stove in the kitchen, plus the heat don't work (nope) It's cold at night, they mommas can't afford jackets She too busy tryin to support the crack habit The State took her kids, now they all doin bids (man that sound crazy) I know it sound crazy but that's how it is, in the ghetto The ghetto
[Interlude: Zo-Zer] All I see are hearts that's hollow, from Detroit to Chicago Just hopin you can follow Shit's real, I know it sounds crazy Shit, it's how it is, how it is..
[Chorus] - w/ minor variations
(This is a place where) Nothin surprise me (This is a place where) Nothin surprise me..