Familiar scene, street corner, tape and sheets
18 put to sleep, talk on the street
Til next week when a different face is another life wasted
Self-hatred is dangerous, the world see him as a thug
But don't understand
That a poor black man, ain't born with a strap in his hand
Was soft like all children at 5 years old
But the cycle and society, turned him cold
Pops fled the scene, left mom's on her own
To feed 3 seeds alone, so she never home
Sweatin' for change, but there's big dough in the game
And he wanna be next to push a range
So we change innocent, to militant ways
Rollin' with the bigger boys, doin' whatever they say
But wait these streets ain't got no glory
Man rolled up on him, you know the rest of the story
Why do we live this way oh lord?
Why do we have to live this way?
Why do we live this way oh lord?
Why do we have to live this way?
Look at what we see and go through
Of course we're thugs, 'cause of our will to survive
Not 'cause of d**
Living in foulest conditions, still breed proudest traditions
We speak, everybody listen
But we still jealous, when one of us shining
Like I'm grindin, why's my man shining?
I ain't criticizing, been known to be whiling
Just tryna give you food for thought when I'm rhyming
'Cause I'm tired of youts' them dyin' 'cause there's no guidance
But I won't have my fam cryin'
An eye for an eye? That's your science?
Cool we're the same then, let's get blinded
I'm not in the hype ting-handle ma business
If I feel somethings a threat, then that threats missin'
Just know that my heart was good and that I tried
I just had too much pride
Why do we live this way oh lord?
Why do we have to live this way?
Why do we live this way oh lord?
Why do we have to live this way?
No matter how we act, we all got emotion
Just learn to hide it, it hurts to open
The street is a movie, stay in your role
If you let it go, vultures swallow you whole
But it don't fool me bro, I see things clear
Big k**ers get big years and shed big tears
If not at trial, gradually as the years pa**
The guilt set in like a vice on the heart
Reminiscing bout the n***a at your side
Now he's missin' and no wishin could give him back life
That's just life, sh** ain't fair
Man scream "street dreams', all I see is the nightmare's
Locked up, years pa** seed dun grown
Get murked or hit the pipe, Either way you a ghost
And that's reality even though it's crazy
Got to change, or it's the same fate for our babies...
Why do we live this way oh lord?
Why do we have to live this way?
Why do we live this way oh lord?
Why do we have to live this way?