You think Oakland California is a city of punks

It only takes a second, to pop the trunk

And just like that you know it's real

You're in the right damn town to get killed

It's all about the game, and nothin else

You come out here, you better watch yourself

Cause you can wear what you want, even blue or red

But cross the wrong brothers, and end up dead

You catch a body full of bullets, and get blasted

Tryin to be a gangsta but you just ain't lastin

This little town is gettin wild as hell

Check the penetentiaries and all the jails

If they could lock us all up that would be just fine

Got my partners from Oakland doin serious time

You can't argue with the truth it's hard to be black

But it's a mindgame, and you gotta deal with that

I wake up everyday and I just can't wait

To make mo money, cause back in the days

when I rapped, I did the same damn thing I do now

Grab the microphone, and show you how

But I was broke, the only thing I had was game

I started makin money and knew things would change

Bought a Benz, thought it might earn respect

But the OPD, found it hard to accept

I got jacked by the Task and jacked by the Vice

Face down on the ground keep my hands in sight

Put the handcuffs on backseat I'm in it

Illegal search for about thirty minutes

Askin me, where's the dope

Where's my gun, but I don't know

I said I'm rappin, they laugh like I told a joke

And to this day they think I'm sellin coke



	I want to be free! (and that's the truth)  Ohhh yeahhh

	I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh



I be in Oakland California every day of my life

bass so hard you think I'm smokin a pipe

And if I don't smoke it, I gots to grind

Searched all my stuff, and all you find

is a pocket full of money count seven G's

Now you wanna think I'm sellin keys

Cause I'm a black man, but I run my own business

So why the police wanna send me to prison

They see a brother makin major cash

They knock a patch out his black ass

And that's the truth, you can't argue you at all

Tryin to give you ten years for a phone call

Ain't even trippin on the dank smoke

Cause all they wanna find, is guns and coke

In court all the time tryin to fight it

We get rich, we get indeibted

So what's the problem Officer this time?

Is havin big money bein black a crime?

Or did you take me to jail, to teach me a lesson

Charge me with somethin, or just ask questions

About the brothers I hang around

What's really goin on in the Oakland town

Tell me who went broke, and who got rich

But Too $hort baby just ain't no snitch

You say you're just doin your job

But you're gettin on my nerves, just like Bob

Everytime I hit a corner, I see you

Always tellin brothers what to do

You lock me up cause I don't know how to act

But I'm down for mine so I be talkin back

And when I do, you treat me bad as hell

I'm sick of spendin nights in jail



	I want to be free! (and that's the truth)  Ohhh yeahhh

	I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh



Got out of jail about fo'-fifteen

Walkin down the street like a broke dopefiend

Had a pocket full of money tryin to play the role

Benz got towed and I was hella cold

But I ain't trippin, I'm gettin used to it now

Handcuffed your boy took me straight downtown

for three warrants, had to catch me sooner or later

Cause the five-oh's always tryin to jack a playa

for no reason, wasn't doin nothin wrong

You think I'm lyin, singin that same ol song

Well I'm a black man, ridin in a Benz

How in the hell did I make these ends?  Here we go

I pull over to the right

Stop the engine keep my hands in sight

I start cursin, cause it don't make sense

Why would I run and try to jump a fence

If I was plannin, a smooth getaway

I never woulda stopped in the first place

You'd be high speed chasin me but this time you ain't

Cause all I got on me is a big fat bank

And I hope I don't get robbed by you know who

Make me donate some G's to the boys in blue

And if I sue, I won't get nothin back

But I ain't mad... I'm just black...



        I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh

        I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh

        I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh

        I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh