N.O. Joe - Straight Gangstaism lyrics

Yeah I take y'all way back [ VERSE 1: Big Mike ] Seven years old, I'm lookin up to the gangstas in the hood Cause to me and my cousins, yeah, they represented good Even when we played cops and robbers on the block Nobody wanted to play the cop, dig it Cause the cop was a p**y-a** b**h And if you played the cop, n***a, you got yo a** kicked I was a curious child I used to hang out by the ballroom and study the gangsta style The way they talk, the way they walk, the way they act The way they wore that gangsta hat Tilted, rim laid flat out Now that's the type of sh** I'm talkin about Yeah, cigarette in one hand, drink in the other Leanin to one side, cooler than a motherf**er With them gangsta-a** nicknames Gillie Boy, Pokey, Big Joe, Goldie, and Lil Lane True motherf**in mack daddies b**h on his side, drivin a '73 Caddy With a chrome-plated .357 Ready to send a motherf**er on a stairway to heaven I was fascinated Yeah, I let 'em influence me, and my momma hate it But she still gave me love Cause my momma understood that it was in my blood See, it was a cycle And in a few mo' years she wouldn't have to worry about her Michael Cause I'll be makin my own decisions Yeah, comin up fast, clockin cash, straight gangstaism [ VERSE 2: Big Mike ] Now it's '93 I got a name for myself Made a little wealth, played the cards I was dealt Didn't go for self, now I'm a G Huh, and every motherf**in body know me n***as in the hood all got love Cause they saw me raise up from a motherf**in scrub And hoes that I know From way back befo' They used to say no All wanna go To the hotel cause they claim that they intrested And everybody talkin about the sh** that they wish they did But I surpa**ed all that They used to wanna know if I was down, now they don't ask all that Cause they believin what they seein A young n***a comin up fast, yeah, straight G [ VERSE 3: 3-2 ] Sittin back as a youngster, peepin out my folks Some were straight G's and some went out smokin dope I had to cope with it, be a man and stay strong Even though some folks didn't think that I'd live long I watched grandpa shoot dice at the liquo' sto' Hittin licks in the dough on Ju Man and Big Joe Walkin out the do' with a gallon of Jack Sellin straight sens buds cause back then there wasn't no crack And matter fact, to this day I'm doin sh** like grandpa in every way I got my hustle on, loc, I ain't frontin Just a young n***a in this world tryina have somethin Yeah, that's the environment I know That's how I was raised and that's how I'mma go I doubt I will ever be a cell mate But I do know I'm never goin straight Ganstaism