I've seen hunger, hunger, pleasure, pain, violence and crime
I have learned from the mistakes of my friends that have died
And from those who have gone down in life that just never
tried
Life is just too short I realize that now
I'm gonna get my shit together and try to make it some how
Cause one thing that I have learned is that you only live once
So now I'll take life by the balls and squeeze until they crunch

Knowledge of the streets, a valuable tool
Type of education you can't get in school
Many hard times, losing friends, getting burned
Nobody to teach me, I just learned
A man like clay molded by his surroundings
He starts to take shape of the beating and the pounding
Assembly line that I've been through
A hard motherfucker with a bad attidude
Maybe its just the times we live in
Maybe its just urban discipline

The ways of urban life are not as they seem
Standing up and fighting is what living here means
In order to survive you've got to earn your respect
The only lessons that you learn are from things that you regret

Lead

Verse II

Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens
Standing up and fighting is what living here means
In order to survive you've got to earn your respect
The  only lessons that you learn are from things that you regret