The Ghetto

Talking 'bout the ghetto Funky, funky ghetto Trying to survive Trying to stay alive The ghetto The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) The ghetto (hmm) The ghetto (funky, funky ghetto) Even though the streets are bumpy, lights burned out Dope fiends die with a pipe in their mouths Old school buddies not doing it right Every day it's the same And it's the same every night I wouldn't shoot you, bro, but I'd shoot that fool If he played me close and tried to test my cool Every day I wonder just how I'll die Only thing I know is how to survive There's only one rule in the real world And that's to take care of you, only you and yours Keep dealing with the hard times day after day Might deal me some dope, but then crime don't pay Black man tried to break in my house again Thought he got off the dope doing time in the pen Even though my brothers do me just like that I get a lot of love so I'm giving it back to the ghetto The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) The ghetto (funky, funky ghetto) The ghetto (trying to live our lives) The ghetto (won't ya tell 'em 'bout it, Too $hort?) So just peep the game and don't call it crap 'Cause to me, life is one hard rap Even though my sister smoked crack cocaine She was nine months pregnant, ain't nothing changed 600 million on a football team And her baby died just like a dope fiend The story I tell is so incomplete Five kids in the house, no food to eat Don't look at me and don't ask me why Mama's next door getting high Even though she's got five mouths to feed She'd rather spend her money on a H-I-T I always tell the truth about things like this I wonder if the mayor overlooked that list Instead of adding to the task force, send some help Waiting on him, I'd better help myself Housing authority and the O.P.D All these guns just to handle me in the ghetto The ghetto (people are dying) The ghetto (children are crying) The ghetto (don't have enough to eat) The ghetto (don't even have shoes on their feet) The ghetto Even though they put us down and call us animals We make real big banks and buy brand new clothes Drive fancy cars, make love to stars Never really saying just who we are We use alias names like Too $hort Sell you stuff you might kill for Young kids grow up and that's all they know Didn't teach him in school, now he's slangin' dope Only thing he knows is how to survive But will he kill another brother before he dies? In the ghetto, you keep one eye open All day long, just hoping and hoping You can pay your bills and not drink too much Then the problems of life you'll be throwing up Like me, but you don't see Ten years from now, where will you be? The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Trying to get out of the ghetto The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) But I got no place to go The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Trying to survive in the heart of the ghetto The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Ha, 'cause that's the only place that I know So much game in a Too $hort rap Can't be white and whites can't be black Why you wanna act like someone else? All you gotta do is just be yourself We're all the same color underneath Short dog is in the house you'd better listen to me Never be ashamed of what you are Proud to be black, stand tall at heart Even though some people give you no respect Be intelligent, when you put 'em in check 'Cause when you're ignorant, you get treated that way And when they throw you in jail, you got nothing to say So if you don't listen, it's not my fault I'll be getting paid and you'll be paying the cost Sitting in the jailhouse, running your mouth While me and my people try to get out The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Talking 'bout the ghetto The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Funky, funky ghetto The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Trying to survive The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Trying to stay alive The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Funky, funky ghetto The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Got no place else to go The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto) Trying to stay alive The ghetto (talking 'bout the ghetto)