[Verse 1: Masta Ace]
Eh yo, I got to watch my back as I travel through
Rockaway and Livonia, Picken Avenue
Belmont, New Lot, Stone and Saratoga
I just wanna slice the piece and maybe have a soda
But if I try to rock this leather and this nameplate
Like my man Nate I can meet the same fate
He in the wheelchair, knife in the spine man
My friends like: "yo come on, we'll be fine man"
But see this black suede Puma's with the gold stripe
Are hot of the press and yes it's a cold night
The type of night when all coasts seem suspicious
I know we ain't no b**hes but these streets are vicious
Bus stops, alleyways and them side blocks
It's the few spots you can wind up in a pine box
Last car of the A train, it ain't sane
Play around, you lay around in great pain
And now the kid ensure like weight gains
Tell me why would you wanna die for a fake chain?
sh**, why you wanna die for a real one?
Cause real bullets they k** when they fly from a real gun
Man I'm a err on the side of caution
Because this stuff my moms bought was a small fortune
For this great advice you gone thank me thoroughly
Labyrinth, caught in this maze, Frankie Beverly
[Hook: L.T.]
Fire burning
Hot all over them streets
And this world is falling
Because they don't care about me
And we, humanity
We must fight
Fight for the sake of life
Fight for the sake of our children
[Verse 2: Masta Ace]
Being I'm a only child and moms keeps a steady job
I stay fresh to d**h and yes they ready to rob
These suede Wallabees got 'em on the cheap friend
And my sheepskin same color as a wheat thin
These Cazal frames really are a rare color
But I'm not ready to die like hair color
All I want to do is impress the ladies
Cause this be the eighties and it's wild over here brother
Walk lightly or end up in a fight see
Unless you wanna lose that there, hold it tightly
Since grade school, been fresh from the start dawg
And that makes me a target like a dartboard
So I gotta stay on point like church shoes
And the first rule's watch out for the worst dudes
One false move and moms have to bury me
Try to make it through this maze, Frankie Beverly
[Scratches]
Universal ghetto survivors
[Verse 3: Masta Ace]
I first learned what a labyrinth is
In AP cla** with all the talented kids
This game had a ball and your goal was to get it home
And if it fell in the hole, then you did it wrong
Man, my hood be sort of the same
You can get robbed in the bus, on court or the train
Yup, I'm already stressed, please don't worry me
Labyrinth, this here maze, Frankie Beverly
[Hook: L.T.]
Fire burning
Hot all over them streets
And this world is falling
Because they don't care about me
And we, humanity
We must fight
Fight for the sake of life
Fight for the sake of our children
[Outro]
Uh, a dollar short of having a dollar
Being broke in the hood is a curse
Hit the Ave, you know how to fix it
I know it's bad but could have get worse
I see these kids, they might wanna jump me
But I'm not gonna show 'em I'm scared
I just know I'mma find me a way out
They gonna know I was here