Cradle to the Grave

From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto June 16th, 1971 Mama gave birth to a hell-raisin' heavenly son See, the doctor tried to smack me But I smacked him back My first words was, "Thug for life," and "Papa, pass the MAC" I'm bustin' on these motherfuckers, ballin' Listen, you can hear my mini-14 callin' From out the window of my drop-top I got my Glock cocked Bustin' at niggas, when will it stop? Now tell me, are you scared of the dark? Can't close my eyes, I see visions And even with this thug livin', will I escape prison? Penitentiary chances was an all-day thang The only way to advance, and if you slang Then you'd better have your Nikes on 'Cause when we fight It's in the middle of the night with no lights on Hey, there must be a God 'cause I feel lucky Paranoid out my mind 'cause motherfuckers tryna rush me Am I goin' to jail? Look at me bailin' Comin' out the courthouse all about my mail and bank Never, never die, I'll be a hustler, motherfuckers And makin' thugs out you suckers from the cradle to the grave From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave, since a little bitty child I've been known to get ill and kinda buck wild Pop, pop, just like the part that's in my walk with street talk I'm runnin' up the block in the dark where lead sparks Surveillance on a nigga every day Waitin' on my daddy just to take his ass away Now Mama always workin', tryna make ends meet So now a young nigga's bein' raised by the streets And then the only other one that ever showed me love Was my dope-fiend uncle, strung out on drugs A straight thug, just me and my mama out here on our own So I got two gats, one black and one of chrome Now, I don't wanna hurt nobody, but I must defend mine It's all the fuck I got, so stop and walk a thin line Young niggas be brave, and keep on thuggin' From the cradle to the grave, from the cradle to the grave From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave, I'm glad to say I made it this far Many G's died hard and all they got was they name hit up on a wall It's sad thinkin' about the times, life goes on I'm steady lost in this land, that's the war zone I gots no home, don't have no friends neither It's just me by my lonely, so I married my Nina I keeps her wherever I go, I love my ho Never leave home without my sugar, I'ma have to plug a nigga Mama told me not to trust no punks And kick his ass if he lay a hand on me Since then I been knowin', sometimes I think my own self stupid 'Cause I stay shootin' at marks, get twisted up in police reports Since the cradle, I've been ungrateful My first toy was a gun, I got sprung and learned to love weapons But now I'm through with money and through with street fame Somebody peeled my cap and put me in my grave From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto March 18th, a rainy day, my mama gave birth To a baby boy trapped in hell on Earth From day one it wasn't fun, I never had a crumb Daddy worked two jobs and Mama won't stop drinkin' rum I tried to cope, loc, but my family's broke And my pocket's short, so now I gotta slang dope In a game filled with pain, it's a fuckin' shame The white man got a motherfucker slangin' 'caine So now it's on from dusk to dawn, I'm gettin' my serve on Always in the spot with my Glock, slangin' rocks at the Rox The shit don't stop, I'm steady dodgin' cops I never flip-flop, hear my Glock cock, thug 'til I drop And if I hit the pen, I gotta do my time Sittin' on my bunk, reminiscin' 'bout the good times It's fucked up a nigga gotta grow up doin' dirt But from the cradle to the grave, I'ma put in work From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto Time's movin' fast, will I last another day? So I pray and I lay with my AK Did I sell my soul as a young kid? All the things I did, wishin' someone held me But they never did I can't take it, will I make it to my older age? Before I'm shot up or locked up in a fuckin' cage Lord, help me, guide me, save me 'Cause that's the way that Daddy raised me, crazy Do or die, nigga, pull the trigger, don't give a fuck You'd rather be in jail than get your ass bucked Nobody cares, it's me against the world Keepin' murder on my mind and my TEC-9 I got nothin' to lose, payin' dues Nigga, you wanna die? I get high, then my mission is a walk-by You'd better jet when I hit your set 'cause I'm comin' Start runnin', yellin' "evil mind" as I'm gunnin' One in the chamber for the anger that I build inside For the mothers that cried For my homies that died The beginnin' is an endin' Am I just a slave? So I got to be brave from the cradle to the grave From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto From the cradle to the grave Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto