[WC]
 Nineteen-ninety-eight, damn I can't believe it
 Whoever thought, throughout the drama, we'd live to see it
 So many of us done lost lives to the streets
 As we reminisce I'm pourin liquor for the deceased
 Thinkin bout the times that I spent with many of em
 Hopin that the Lord let me see the millenium
 Trapped in this ghetto main, seekin better days
 Fightin for my conscience, tryin to shake these wicked ways
 I know it's wrong but it's hard to change
 All my life, all I ever knew was hustle and game
 Lookin for answers ever since I was a adolescent
 Faced with rejection, early age stressin
 But now ten years later with doodoo respect
 I'm bustin million dollar raps and six digit checks
 Showin love to my peeps and my love don't change
 Here's a toast to you fakes, huh, here's to better days

 [Ron Banks]
 Might sound strange, but I just can't run away
 I can't run, run, it might sound strange
 but I just can't run away
 I can't run, no, run away

 [WC]
 Touch a meal ticket, shake a spot for good
 Never, I still got love for the neighborhood
 And even though now it's infested with gunplay
 on most days like Bootsy I can't stay away
 Cause if I shook like y'all shook on me
 Then whose gon' stay and guide the way for the lil homies?
 I can't turn my head on my folks
 so I stay visible in these streets and try to give hope
 Born in the ghetto, raised in the ghetto
 Got love for the ghetto, I can't forget the ghetto
 How come everytime we get some change in our can
 we run away and try to move out as far as we can?
 I know that jealousy's the devil's greed but you worse
 than a devil when you turn your back on these young G's
 Now feel every word that I say, hear my cry
 as I struggle out of thirst and search for better days

 [Ron Banks]
 Might sound strange, but I just can't run away
 I can't run, run, run away!
 Said I just can't run away
 I can't run, run, run away
 No I just can't run away
 I can't run, run, runnnnnn away!

 [WC]
 Another day another dollar, it feels good to look around
 and see I'm surrounded by real riders
 Childhood comrades I ran with for years
 Shared the same beer and tears over the same peers
 Player haters swearin that all we all G's
 off each others strength with these, regulates the same cheese
 No jealousy we all family like Sister Sledge
 Lace each other with game, so I can spin beer cans
 Watch our kids grow together, as we get old together
 Loc I mean this, let no one come in between this
 Keep our business among us, behind doors and eyes closed
 on those we consider as foes
 Outsiders never exposed to your hustle
 Plus I'm, never been one likely to trust em
 No negative association, just dedication
 to watch our paper sprout like this bud mutation

 [Ron Banks]
 Might sound strange, but I just can't run away
 I can't run, run, run away!
 No I just can't run away
 I can't run, I can't runnnnnnn away!
 No I just can't run away
 I can't run run run run runnnnnn away