Times was simply plain i knew they'd eventually change Let's take a trip down memory lane With the game talker, native new yorker Gators on my feet, formerly british walker Yes love, that's how it was before When you was funky fresh or down by law Parlay with your crew at the corner store Carrying a boom box We be wildin' on the corner free stylin' Or politickin' Or either girls we be getting with, how we be hitting it Lying bout skins that we didn't get Slow moving at paces through the rat races The jordache look and fat laces Making moves any type of way I remember it like yesterday, hey Chorus Here's to you That's how it was before When you was funky fresh or down by law Way back in the days how we used to do Thank you for the good times y'all Repeat Verse 2 D Shorties make me think how we used to do When you couldn't be sleeping, if you plan on keeping Hold of your sheepskin, heads do be peeping Think it can't happen to you, now could it? Came to school wearing puma's went home barefooted And on the weekends when everybody click To slide to the deuce to check karate flicks Come back around the way after dark So the crew could embark on the jam in the park What would happen that night, was to scrap in a fight Only way to break it up was playing rappers delight And as i sit back watching you Shorties out there doing what you got to do I feel for you being sincere Cause where you trying to go i already been there, yeah Chorus Verse 3 Ain't nothing but love i got to give I don't playa hate cause we all got to live That negative lifestyle i prohibit Good life i got to live it, bubbly i got to sip it Now i'll admit that i sort of be flashing But yet and still i do it in an orderly fashion Bring on the honeys and watch me mack these, stack cheese Go on with your bad self, black caes Just when the game got the stakes set high Straight from bed stuy, the return of the jedi With a j**el cause i'm tired of seeing Charges being brought up, on brothers getting caught up Now it's about time we connect, organize and collect A new wold order's in effect I send this out to the shorties in the hood I wanna see you all live good Chorus Chorus