[verse 1]

I'ma take you back to day onelivin in this new york slum

It's deaf to the dumbonly break bread with some

Moms left at 15had no american dreams

To this dayI'm sellin to my cousin who's a fiend

No one would got me but my older brother

Little did we know the dirt we did fell back on my mother

But didn't care back thenthat's why she left like that

Now my parents became the streetand it's best like that



[verse 2]

Some nights I pray to God and ask him to pull my cord

Cuz times is hard like the opposite street'll leave you scarred

Street wise with no respect for authority and shit

A chronic hustler of cracka typical bitch

Raised by madu who strung out on a glass dick

But every now and then I blessed her with a hit

So she don't have to trick

It's prevalent amongst kids today

Hustle krillsstack doughand everything's okay



Hook

It's the emancipation proclamation under the self devised guidelines

Of self preservation and starvation (I gotta live)

It's the emancipation proclamation under the self devised guidelines

Of self preservation and starvation (and I gotta live)



[verse 3]

My life in this world wasn't about diamonds and pearls

It was rough growin up around the boys and girls

After daddy leftshit was a messmomma stressed

But I give her an awardcuz damn she tried her best

Holdin down the householdbarely had money to fold

Christmas timecherished our little shit like gold

I can't frontdaddy was still there for mecared for me

But him and mommy breakin up was like a nightmare to me



[verse 4]

Yo this is for the younger fathers and motherssisters and brothers

Success is nothin if it ain't if it was with the others

We gotta make the best out of this terrible situation

If not for usfor the younger generation

We gotta break the chainand deal with the pain

For all our people that was slayed in vain (revenge)

For all our peoples that was falsely framed (revenge)

For all our peoples that's livin the name



Hook



[verse 5]

Let me showI gotta love l.o.d.they put me under the wing

And then I teamed up with the most beautiful thing

In the worldcuz l.o.d. we all we got

I'm a fans and my mans keep it like it or not

I know it hurtshavin to do everyday dirt

Police all over my backfeel like bustin them jerks

When I'm my road to the richesI stay away from snitches

And them bitchesand keep my mind on business



[verse 6]

Life was tough so I became aggressive like a pit

The only time I felt relaxed was when the blunt was lit

Thinkin me and my team can be tight like the gambino

Muscle in the hustle scene respected like leno

It gets deeper than the words of proverbs

New thoughts emergeas I cop the squat on the curb

Thinkin the herb strengthen my brain like spinach

And heavy shineflooded with ice might reduce my self spirts



[verse 7]

Stick emmy life is so real it hurts

Like when I saw my pops bein driven off in a hearse

Like when I saw my mother bein driven off in a hearse

Like you school when the roach crawl out my shirt

Like on thanksgiving when we got free food from the church

Back then it was dj red alert and kool herc

Rockin been stripe knees and latigra shirts

Back then l.o.d. was puttin in work



From the cradle to the grave

We all in the strugglewe gon strugglewe gon strive to stay alive

All my real people know what I'm talkin about

Watch each other backs

Word upmy life is nothing without my niggasword up