As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left.
Cause I've been laughing and blasting so long,
That even my mama thinks that my mind is gone!
But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it,
Me be treated like a punk, yeah
You know that's unheard of.
You better watch how you're talking
And where you're walking,
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk.
I really hate to trip but I gotta loc,
As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke.
I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be like,
On my knees in the night
Saying prayers in the streetlight.
Been spending most their lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise,
Been spending most their lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise.
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise,
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise.
Look at the situation, they got me facin',
I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the streets.
So I gotta be down with the hood team,
Too many television watching
Got me chasing dreams.
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind,
I got a tin in my hand and a gleam in my eye.
I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' banger,
And my homies are down, don't arouse my anger.
Death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away,
I'm living life, do or die, what can I say?
I'm 23 now, but will I live to see 24?
The way things are going, I don't know!
So tell me why are we so fucking blind to see,
The ones we hurt are you and me?
Been spending most their lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise,
Been spending most their lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise.
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise,
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise.
Power and the money, money and the power,
Minute after minute, hour after hour.
Everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking,
What's going on in the kitchen
But I don't know what's cookin'.
They say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me,
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?
I guess they can't
I guess they won't
I guess they front
That's why I know my life is out of luck.
Been spending most their lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise,
Been spending most their lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise.
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise,
Keep spending most our lives
Living in the gangsta's paradise.
