[Chorus: Mac Mall]
Young brothers gotta get it together
Young brothers gotta get it together
I know you're out there gettin' ya cheddar
But we still gotta get it together
And work hard, work smarter
Work hard, work smarter
Work hard, work smarter
You're somebody's son and you're somebody's father
[Verse 1: Mac Mall]
Young brother, just know I want you to live
Don't wanna see you popped up in the pen like brother and father did
Don't wanna see you bust your steel and another brother get k**ed
Still, we do it to ourself and that's ill for real
Youngin's f**in' up they future tryna be treal
D.A. give you forever, now he wanna make a deal
But he shoulda made a plan instead of fast petty scams
Shoulda thought about his fam instead of tryna be the man
Grands in his hand, now he stand in the can feelin' ‘damn'
Now you're finally on your knees prayin'
Askin' God for forgiveness, wish you thought about God before you did it
Shoulda listened instead of being out there trippin'
Can't play the victim, must hold yourself accountable
You don't want your kids growin' up without you, fool
Man up is what you need to do
To yourself, you got somethin' to prove and everything to lose
[Chorus]
[Verse 2: Mac Mall]
You gotta live to learn but you gotta learn to live
Sick of seein' our kids dyin' tryna get rich
Seen too many die for blocks that they threw up
On corners that we grew up
Blood drainin' down into the sewers
Surrounded by d**h, it can do somethin' to ya
I'm prayin' for our future, hope we remember the true us
We was rulers, not just dealers and users
Scholars and builders, not just thieves and shooters
Remember that before you k** another black
Before you serve some more crack
Remember it's us caught in the trap
Like sheeps to the slaughter, every day is gettin' harder
When you're gone, put your face on a shirt, a ghetto martyr
That's why we gotta be smarter and work harder
And if we work together, brother, we can get farther
You know they run game, mane, the same divide and conquer
That's why we come up, don't let the system take us under
[Chorus]
(E-40: Cuzo, let me holla at ‘em)
[Verse 3: E-40]
Let's put our money together, let's put our money together
Let's beat the system, too many of us in prison
I know I'm always gone but I love my town
Rest in peace Mac Dre, I know you're lookin' down
People think we hated each other but we respected each other
You was from one side and I was from the other
Two Vallejo brothers, none of us s**ers, legendary
Just like Studio Ton and Khayree
I can go on and on to shout out the V
So much talent, so much history
So many memories when it used to be cool
To leave your screen door open and walk home from school
Without gettin' stolen or shot in the process
It's difficult for these kids to make some progress
It's a mess, my city need a prayer (What you need to do?)
40 need to have a sitdown with the mayor (For real)
[Chorus]