See I was only 16 such a tender age

A young seed leaving my home in search of ghetto fame

Mom's begging me to stay, crying but yo I gotta make it on my own now

I'm tired of hustling, plus I'm almost full grown now

Packed up my bags in now pursuit of my dreams

Gave her a kiss then wiped the tears from eyes so that she couldn't see

Jumped in the car starring up at the stars

Rhyming for hours hoping one day I'm a hear the applause

Now I'm 17, still broke loc, no money

Holes in my shoes and people laughing cuz my clothes crummy

No food to eat so now I'm digging in the trash can

Eating left over food from last week in tha bags man

I never thought that it could get this hard, pray to God

Then I get to stepping, cuz I know that I'm called

I told myself I gotta keep the faith living inside, knowing I'll make it one day

So I can't just lay down and die, I gotta try man!


Chorus

What are these hard streets doing to me

Ghetto running through me

Thicker than blood, down in the mud

Trying to come up, these hard streets do it to me

Ghetto running through me

Thicker than blood, down in tha mud

Trying to come up another day


It's 1991 getting older now

Kicked out my crib nowhere to live

Wit problems and the world on my shoulders now

If I go home mom will think I'm a loser

And if I call the homie then he'll think I'm trying to use em

So now I'm stuck, sleeping on my managers sofa

Even though I know he's ripping me off

Trying to play me like a game of poker

Congested wit depression I proceed to try and count my blessing like

The fact I'm still alive, I could have died on these mean streets

Cuz they ain't kind, so many killers and dealers committing horrible crimes

Dope fiends, drive-by's, muggers and drug smugglers

No one expecting me to make it cuz I'm from the gutter

A young G from the streets of killa cal,

Where riders pack heat and smoke weed as a juvenile

It's all good though, I'm out to prove em all wrong

Reach for the stars, and show em one day I'm a be the bomb!


I'm sick of all the heartaches, let downs, broken promises and feeling hopeless

I'm tired of being rejected and all the disappointments

Feeling like I ain't worth a dime

Partners telling me I'm the greatest, but there's no deal to sign

Crying, devastated and confused at the same time

My mind is telling me to quit and God's saying try

My heart is telling me it's over and I'll never rhyme

But something's telling me prevail and it will be fine


Bridge

See there's always so much drama

From tha block or ya babies mama

In these streets that's where my peeps be running that game

Why ya trying to run me over, like I'm trying to snatch ya corner

In these streets gotta get your grind on

All day long gotta grind get ya hustle on