[Produced by Deon Evans]
[Verse 1: 2Pac]
If I could recollect before my hood days
I'd sit, reminisce in bliss on the good days
I stop and stare at the younger
My heart goes to 'em
They tested, it was stressed that they under
We never really went through that
Because we was born B.C. - you and me before crack
And nowadays things changed
Everyone's ashamed to the youth cause the truth look strange
And for me it's reverse
We left them a world that's cursed and it hurts
Cause any day they'll push the bu*ton
And y'all condemned like Malcolm X and Bobby Hutton died for nothing
Don't 'em let me get teary
The world looks dreary
But when you wipe your eyes, see it clearly
There is no need for you to fear me
If you take the time to hear me
Maybe you can learn to cheer me
It ain't about black or white cause we're human
I hope we'll see the light before it's ruined
My Ghetto Gospel
[Hook]
(woman singing)
It's ok, it's ok, it's ok
(2Pac over chorus)
Yeah, my Ghetto Gospel
(Man talking)
(woman singing)
It's ok, it's ok, it's ok
[Verse 2: 2Pac]
Tell me, do you see that old lady? Ain't it sad?
Livin' out of bags but she's glad for the little things she has
And over there there's a lady, crack got her crazy, well guess she's givin' birth to a baby!
I don't trip to let 'em fade me
From outta the frying pan we jump into another form of slavery
And even now I get discouraged
I wonder if they take it all back will I still keep the courage?
I refuse to be a role model
I set goals, take control, drink out my own bottle (yeah)
I make mistakes but learn from everyone
And when it's said and done
I bet this brother will be a better one
If I upset you, don't stress and never forget that God isn't finished with me yet
I feel his hand on my brains when I write rhymes I go blind and let the Lord do his thing
But am I any less holy?
I choose to puff a blunt and drink a beer with my homies
(and this is not world peace, we tried and failed) and there is war on the streets!
My Ghetto Gospel
[Hook]
[Verse 3: 2Pac]
I remember grandma's hands used to hold me, mold me, I never forget the things she told me
Brothers' a bu*t and played the big shot, cause you know
Grannies are the only thing that little Ghetto kids got
Moms work and papa's buried
She dropped me over granny's house
Bless her heart cause she worry
And ghetto grannies are like books, we got so many crooks cause so many grannies gettin' shook
And gettin' dropped in the nursing home
And times is hard and even worst alone
And how could you be so cold
You'll get your turn as soon as you turn old
All they ask of every person
They try to figure out what's on the mind of a brother when he's cursing
9 out of 10 you'll find the problems, time to take a listen and see what you could do to solve them
Cause everybody needs a little help on the way to relying on oneself
So think about it... why 2Pac hit cha, hit cha with a little ghetto gospel
My Ghetto Gospel
[Hook]
[Verse 4: 2Pac]
I was a stone cold gangsta man
Until you gave me ghetto gospel, I thank you man
Used to roll in the back and do d** a lot
Now I'm bangin' these tracks, slanging rhymes I got
In this world of greed tryin' to succeed on my beliefs
Now I lay me down to sleep
Lord can you hear me speak?
Can you forgive me for my sins?
If I had it all to do again, I'd still play to win
I hope the Lord can understand me
A man's gotta do what he can for his family
And pay the price of being hellbound
But I rather see hell later than see hell now
And the devil ain't got nothing on the president, cut back and keep us strapped in our residence and be like animals in cages
We can rant and rave about slavery for ages
Or we can start making positive and hit 'em with a little ghetto gospel
My Ghetto Gospel
[Hook]
It's ok, its ok, it's ok
(my ghetto gospel)
It's ok, it's ok, it's ok
(my ghetto gospel)
It's ok, it's ok, it's ok
(my ghetto gospel)
It's ok, it's ok, it's ok
(fades)