When I was a kid, I rode crates on a skate
And I ate everything momma put on my plate
n***az walked around packin' B-B guns
Knock on yo' door and run, just for fun We went to the sto' and sold bottles fo' a nickel
To feast upon a big bag of Cheetos and a pickle
You could get a soda foe less than quarter
And people used to speak even if they didn't know ya We fought in the streets like little black soldiers
Shake hands and still be friends when it was over
We used to play tag and hide and go seek
Or hide and go get it if we had a few freaks But now thangs changed, kids ain't the same
They bang, and slang and blow out brains
I wish I could go back but wishin' is for s**ers
Life was so simple then I remember, oh, When we used to hang
(I remember)
On the porch, drinkin' brew and now they drive-by
(Bay-bee) I remember, oh, when we used to play
(I remember)
Shoot-em-up, up and down
But now they gang-bang
(Bay-bee) Well, I remember yesteryear like it was yesterday
Runnin' through the streets of Onessa P-A
I take you through my childhood step by step
Daddy always told me to maintain my rep though Daddy was a dawg he ain't raise no punks
In the midst of the trees we learned how to thump
At the tender age of nine momma put us on a plane
Next stop, the land of the insane Compton, California, where the k**ers grow
Forced to live a life that I didn't know
Wore the wrong colors 'cause I didn't know the facts
Call her b**h, caught a case, caught a slug in my back But I adapted quickly, s**ers tried to get me
Now the fools better run 'cause this just drive by Billy
Little black boy from the East
Forced to be a k**er but I can still remember I remember, oh, when we used to play
(I remember)
Domino, on the porch but now they drive-by
(Bay-bee) I remember, oh, when we used to have
(I remember)
Army fights, in the smog but now they gang-bang
(Bay-bee) Back when I was a kid, n***a
We used to have this game called, paperball
(Paperball? What the f** is that?)
Get a piece of paper, ball that motherf**er up
And play with it, ha, ha, ha, ha I got Tha Alkaholik juice to wake ya up like a rooster
Back when I was young, I used to be a booster
Stealin' candy from the sto', go to school, come up
I had the whole playground, chewin' all my gum up You know what I'm sayin'? Playin' still to the chest
And I was the best, playin' kickball at recess
I play Pop Warner, golden pairs for the losers
We used to hop corners on the fresh deuce cruisers Playin' Galaga, Space Invaders, eatin' Reese's
I had all the women 'cause my tough skins had creases
And it's been that way since day one
Girls of the world ain't nothin' but fun I used to watch Dr. J, come through in the clutch
Remember New Zoo Review and Starsky and Hutch
I remember lunchtime, we used to rhyme out loud
Peace to the Wop and the hip-hop crowd, I remember I remember, oh, When we used to hang
(I remember)
On the porch, drinkin' brew and now they drive-by
(Bay-bee) I remember, oh, when we used to play
(I remember)
Shoot-em-up, up and down
But now they gang-bang
(Bay-bee) Oh, my life, no, no, I do remember, oh
I know you do, I remember yesterday
I remember when we played
I remember yesterday, aow I remember Hell, when we used to play
In ghetto blocks through the dark
I remember, yeah, yeah, yeah We used to play dominoes all night long
Dominoes all night long, yesterday, yesterday
Do you remember yesterday? I remember yesterday
You remember, remember, remember, remember