Listen to Keep Ya Head Up by 2Pac

Keep Ya Head Up

2Pac

Hip-Hop/Rap

2,269,534

Apple Music Note

OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up (from album: "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..."

Watch 2Pac - Keep Ya Head Up (from album: "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..." on YouTube

Featured In

Listen to Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. by 2Pac

ALBUMStrictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.2Pac

Listen to ’90s Hip-Hop Essentials featuring 2Pac

PLAYLIST’90s Hip-Hop EssentialsApple Music ’90s

Listen to 2Pac Essentials featuring 2Pac

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Listen to West Coast Hip-Hop Essentials featuring 2Pac

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Listen to Hip-Hop Throwback featuring 2Pac

PLAYLISTHip-Hop ThrowbackApple Music Hip-Hop

Listen to I Miss Golden Age Hip-Hop featuring 2Pac

PLAYLISTI Miss Golden Age Hip-HopApple Music Hip-Hop

Listen to Hip-Hop/R&B Hits: 1993 featuring 2Pac

PLAYLISTHip-Hop/R&B Hits: 1993Apple Music Hip-Hop

Listen to Kendrick Lamar: Influences featuring 2Pac

PLAYLISTKendrick Lamar: InfluencesApple Music Hip-Hop

Listen to Inspirational Songs Essentials featuring 2Pac

PLAYLISTInspirational Songs EssentialsApple Music Pop

Listen to Conscious Hip-Hop Essentials featuring 2Pac

PLAYLISTConscious Hip-Hop EssentialsApple Music Hip-Hop

Listen to Hip-Hop/R&B Hits: 1994 featuring 2Pac

PLAYLISTHip-Hop/R&B Hits: 1994Apple Music Hip-Hop

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS

2Pac

Vocals

The Black Angel

The Black Angel

Background Vocals

COMPOSITION & LYRICS

Tupac Shakur

Songwriter

Daryl L. Anderson

Daryl L. Anderson

Songwriter

Stan Vincent

Songwriter

Roger Troutman

Songwriter

PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING

DJ Daryl

Producer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

I say the darker the flesh, then the deeper the roots

I give a holla to my sisters on welfare

2Pac cares if don't nobody else care

And I know they like to beat you down a lot

When you come around the block, brothers clown a lot

But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up

Forgive, but don't forget, girl, keep ya head up

[Verse 2]

And when he tells you you ain't nothin', don't believe him

And if he can't learn to love you, you should leave him

'Cause, sister, you don't need him

And I ain't tryin' to gas you up, I just call 'em how I see 'em

You know what makes me unhappy? (What's that?)

When brothers make babies

And leave a young mother to be a pappy

And since we all came from a woman

Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman

[Verse 3]

I wonder why we take from our women

Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?

I think it's time to kill for our women

Time to heal our women, be real to our women

And if we don't we'll have a race of babies

That will hate the ladies that make the babies

And since a man can't make one

He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one

So will the real men get up?

I know you're fed up, ladies, but keep ya head up

[Chorus]

Keep ya head up

Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier

Keep ya head up

Ooh, child, things'll get brighter

Keep ya head up

Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier

Keep ya head up

Ooh child, things'll get brighter

[Verse 4]

Hey, yo, I remember Marvin Gaye used to sing to me

He had me feelin' like black was the thing to be

And suddenly the ghetto didn't seem so tough

And though we had it rough, we always had enough

I huffed and puffed about my curfew and broke the rules

Ran with a local crew and had a smoke or two

I realize Mama really paid the price

She nearly gave her life to raise me right

[Verse 5]

And all I had to give her was my pipe dream

Of how I'd rock the mic and make it to the bright screen

I'm tryin' to make a dollar out of fifteen cents

It's hard to be legit and still pay the rent

And in the end it seems I'm headin' for the pen

I try to find my friends, but they're blowin' in the wind

Last night my buddy lost his whole family

It's gonna take the man in me to conquer this insanity

It seems the rain'll never let up

I try to keep my head up and still keep from gettin' wet up

[Verse 6]

You know, it's funny, when it rains it pours

They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor

Say there ain't no hope for the youth

And the truth is it ain't no hope for the future

And then they wonder why we crazy

I blame my mother for turnin' my brother into a crack baby

We ain't meant to survive, 'cause it's a set-up

And even though you're fed up, huh, you got to keep ya head up

[Chorus]

Keep ya head up

Ooh child, things are gonna get easier

Keep ya head up

Ooh child, things'll get brighter

Keep ya head up

Ooh child, things are gonna get easier

Keep ya head up

Ooh child, things'll get brighter

[Verse 7]

And uh, to all the ladies havin' babies on they own

I know it's kinda rough and you're feelin' all alone

Daddy's long gone and he left you by your lonesome

Thank the Lord for my kids even if nobody else want 'em

'Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I'm sure

And if you fall, stand tall and come back for more

'Cause ain't nothin' worse than when your son

Wants to know why his daddy don't love him no more

[Verse 8]

You can't complain you was dealt this hell of a hand

Without a man, feelin' helpless

Because there's too many things for you to deal with

Dyin' inside, but outside you're lookin' fearless

While the tears is rollin' down your cheeks

You steady hopin' things don't fall down this week

'Cause if it did, you couldn't take it

And don't blame me, I was given this world, I didn't make it

[Verse 9]

And now my son's gettin' older and older

And cold from havin' the world on his shoulders

While the rich kids is drivin' Benz

I'm still tryin' to hold on to survivin' friends

And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up

Please, you gotta keep ya head up

Written by: 2Pac, DJ Daryl, Daryl L. Anderson, Roger Troutman, Stan Vincent

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