Hey yo the kid still at it, woke up from that coma Seen hell came back and here comes my first classic Still chop it up at the table, still put dope in the bag and still got dope, under the mattress It was hustle before rappin, nuttin before that and 12 years old, a lost soul, bumpin "Illmatic" Gunshots tried and almost took the young kid's live Can't do it I been through it the young kid survived Got the ghetto on my shoulder homey, it's gon' be a long ride Bear with me, I'ma take you there with me Show you how the sun shine in one rhyme, no more stormy weather Streets is mine, we gon' live forever Get it together 'Pac is watchin, Big is listenin Eazy is talkin to us, Big Pun is witnessin While they souls still glistenin in ghettos from Compton to Brooklyn the shells cry, every hood's anthem Where everybody goes to church and prayers are never answered And they throwin us curveballs but we Hank Aarons A picture with no canvas, streets are so skanless Young'uns jump rope, play ball with fiends and dope handlers Teenage mothers, deadbeat fathers, no families Lost and often runaway or live with grandparents Life stories with no authors, see it through, {?} Robinson's cubicles When time life is so beautiful Walk with me we can make it if we try, lost soldiers sometimes We gotta die but it's okay to cry Mothers strugglin tryin to survive, reach out grab my hand I got'cha, won't let you go for nuttin, I promise Praises due to Elijah Muhammad, peace be unto Farad Muhammad Words of Minister Farrakhan Been true, be loyal, know your roots, water your soil Stop fightin amongst ourself from birth we royal Who's king we fightin over a crown, while lifeguards watch the hopes and dreams of kids and young teens drown More infants bein born with AIDS, more parents mournin graves The plot thickens, somebody show us the way Tears crackin the pavement, streets breakin up The thrill is gone and it's a long walk home So we might as well start runnin, if it's there gotta take it 'Member Jada said "We Gon' Make It" And it shouldn't take 9/11 to bring our minds together Shit rough we'll grind together Light a candle we can shine forever or I can pass So I won't miss Aaliyah's concert in heaven Live life while we listen to my old heads So I glow like the memory of Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopez Through a six-seven Brougham, ride with me through the hood mayne Where street lights flicker and Chuck Taylors hang And nobody know they neighbor's name 'less they sell weed or cocaine A lot of black clouds on a block but no rain And Game got a lot to say, so they wanna take me down in my own front yard like Marvin Gaye Can't do it by myself, people need help Keep on tryin to live healthy 'til the end of my days And when I die won't lead my daughter astray, lookin from heaven Watch my people drive my coffin through the Compton parade