[Intro]
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy
Livin' in the ghetto
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy
[Verse 1: 2Pac]
June 16th, 1971
Mama gave birth to a hell-raisin' heavenly son
See, the doctor tried to smack me, but I smacked him back
My first words was, "Thug for life!" and "Papa, pa** the MAC!"
I'm bustin' on these motherf**ers ballin'
Listen, you can hear my mini fourteen callin'
From out the window of my drop top
I got my Glock co*ked, bustin' at n***as; when will it stop?
Now, tell me, are you scared of the dark?
Can't close my eyes, I see visions
And even with this thug livin', will I escape prison?
Penitentiary chances was an all day thang
The only way to advance; and if you slang
Then you'd better have your Nikes on, ‘cause when we fight, it's in the middle of the night with no lights on
Hey! There must be a God, ‘cause I feel lucky
Paranoid, out my mind, ‘cause motherf**ers tryin' to rush me
Am I goin' to jail? Look at me bailin'
Comin' out the court house, all about my mail and bank
Never die, I'll be a hustler, motherf**ers
Makin' thugs out you s**ers, from the cradle to the grave
[Hook]
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy
Livin' in the ghetto
[Verse 2: Mopreme]
From the cradle to the grave, since a little bitty child
I've been known to get ill and kinda buck wild
Pop pop! Just like the part that's in my walk with street talk
I'm runnin' up the block in the dark where lead spark
Surveillance on a n***a every day
Waitin on my daddy just to take his a** away
Now Mama always workin', tryin' to make ends meet
So now a young n***a's being raised by the streets
And then the only other one that ever showed me love
Was my dope fiend uncle, strung out on d**
A straight thug, just me, my mama out here on our own
So I got two gats, one black and one of chrome
Now, I don't wanna hurt nobody, but I must defend mine
It's all the f** I got, so stop and walk a thin line
Young n***as be brave
And keep on thuggin' from the cradle to the grave
[Hook]
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy
Livin' in the ghetto
[Verse 3: Rated R]
From the cradle to the grave, I'm glad to say I made it this far
Many G's died, hogs
And all they got was they name hit up on a wall
It's sad thinkin' about the times, life goes on
I'm steady lost in this land, that's the war zone
I gots no home, don't have no friends neither
It's just me by my lonely, so I married my Nina
I keeps her wherever I go, I love my ho
Never leave home without my sugar, I'ma have to plug a n***a
Mama told me not to trust no punks
And kick his a** if he lay a hand on me
Since then I been knowin'
Sometimes I think my own self stupid
‘Cause I stay shootin' at marks
Get twisted up in police reports
Since the cradle, I've been ungrateful
My first toy was a gun
I got sprung and learned to love weapons
But now I'm through with money
And through with street fame
Somebody peeled my cap, and put me in my grave
[Hook]
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy
Livin' in the ghetto
[Verse 4: Macadoshis]
March 18th, a rainy day my mama gave birth
To a baby boy trapped in Hell on Earth
From day one it wasn't fun, I never had a crumb
Daddy worked two jobs and Mama won't stop drinkin' rum
I tried to cope, loc, but my family's broke
And my pocket's short, so now I got ta slang dope
In the game filled with pain, it's a f**in' shame
The white man got a motherf**er slangin' 'caine
So now it's on from dusk to dawn, I'm gettin' my serve on
Always in the spot with my Glock, slingin' rocks at the Rox
The sh** don't stop, I'm steady dodgin' cops
I never flip-flop, hear my Glock co*k, thug 'til I drop
And if I hit the pen, I gotta do my time
Sittin' on my bunk, reminiscin' 'bout the good times
It's f**ed up a n***a gotta grow up doin' dirt
But from the cradle to the grave I'ma put in work
[Hook]
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy
Livin' in the ghetto
[Verse 5: Big Syke]
Time's movin' fast; will I last another day?
So I pray and I lay with my AK
Did I sell my soul as a young kid? All the things I did
Wishin' someone held me, but they never did
I can't take it; will I make it to my older age
Before I'm shot up or locked up in a f**in' cage?
Lord, help me, guide me, save me!
‘Cause that's the way that Daddy raised me: crazy
Do or die, n***a, pull the trigger, don't give a f**
You'd rather be in jail than get yo' a** bucked
Nobody cares, it's me against the world
Keepin' murder on my mind and my TEC-9
I got nothin' to lose, payin' dues, n***a, you wanna die?
I get high and then my mission is a walk-by
You'd better jet when I hit your set, ‘cause I'm comin'
Start runnin', yellin' "evil mind" as I'm gunnin'
One in the chamber, for the anger that I build inside
For the mothers that cried, for my homies that died
The beginnin' is an endin', am I just a slave?
So I got to be brave, from the cradle to the grave
[Hook]
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy
Livin' in the ghetto