Check out the avenue  New York  New York the Rotten Apple 
We grapple in the streets to stack loot and slip the shackles 
I'm currently  servin twenty nine to life 
Duckin the searchlight  no sleep for like the third night 
The big life is trife  got the young kids hyped 
Cops shoot on sight  heat pipe be blowin through the night 
The land where you ain't fam  there's no pity 
Similar to Chocolate City, ten times gritty 
Hittin hard, liquor's God, niggaz plottin on the come off 
and come off, quicker than the clothes on the stripper 
and slide like she doin up and down the railing 
Bitch tailing in the Range with Golden Arms smooth sailin 
The clock's tickin, somebody's on the block snitchin 
The plot thickens, phones are tapped, cops listen 
Too hot for prison, plus too cold to hold my girl 
cause I married this life and she's my whole world  

It's just a sign of the times 
Calmly listen - to these lines.. 
I'm goin out of my mind 
Livin - the street life.. 

Aiyyo, aiyyo 
Make me want to holla way they do my life 
My life, is like a carousel one endless night 
Where most die for pies, some holdin their chrome 
A large percent die for causes not even their own 
When the Inspectah Deck be long dead and gone 
long live the I-N-S song they workin on 
Til then, I hold a section, I stand alone no co-defendant 
Showin the weapon, this saga had no story endin 
It's ghetto heaven, and at the same time hell - shots propel 
The one that missed me got Chanel 
In the future ruled by computer, I self tutor 
The music is the simulator, facin the user 
I do it for those who walk the same road 
And no regrets do I hold for the path I chose 
No sleep since the intro, patrol the windows 
I reminisce, with the chalice and my eyes half closed 
If I could do it again, I'd probably do it the same 
Thought I was through with the game, I'm goin through it again 
The hood life, I'm in it to the limit 
Couldn't quit it for a digit, die for it cause I live it 

Yo, been around the world but just can't seem to leave 
the state of mind that causes tangled web I weave 
Made my home in the heart of it 
Move like Seagal, "Hard Target" 
Most want no part of it, it's logic 
Cutthroat party in the Shark Pit 
Cold blooded souls carry bulldogs and oxes, knowledge this 
Maintain and remain sane 
In the cold world where the rules ain't changed 
Still Rebel to society, government be eyein me 
They probably watchin me right now as I'm speakin 
But all I'm guilty of is teachin you the truth 
They got proof, so you know I'll be home before the weekend 
The hood life, I'm in it to the limit 
In it from the scrimmage, livin it, lovin every minute 
and every hour, til the powers that be 
eventually stress me to the death 

"y'all know the science right?" 
"Death with the intellect" 
"aight.. aight.." 
"Represent, I make it hot" 
"13th.. chamber.. specialist.. from the Bricks" 

Street life.. so trife.. 
Street life.. for life.. 
Feels like.. feels like.. 
my paradiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiise.. 

"Yeah y'all.. uh-huh.." (7x)