Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
2Pac
Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
2Pac
Songwriter
E.D.I
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
QD3
Producer
Claudio Cueni
Mixing Engineer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Uh, dear Mr. President, what's happenin'?
I'm writin' you because shit is still real fucked up in my neighborhood
Pretty much the same way right around the time when you got elected
Ain't nothin' changed
All the promises you made before you got elected (Tell me what to do)
(These **** acting up in the hood) They ain't came true
(Send more troops, dear Mr. President)
Me and my homies is wonderin' what's goin' on (Tell me what to do, these **** actin' up in the hood)
Holler
[Verse 2]
Why should I lie when I can dramatize?
**** fell victims to my lyrics, now traumatized
Simply by spittin', I've been blessed, given riches
Enemies suspicious, 'cause I'm seldom in the company of bitches
Plus the concepts I depict so visual that you can kiss
Each and every trick or bitch inside the shit I kick
[Verse 3]
My heaviest verbs will move a mountain
Casualties in mass amounts, brothers keep countin'
Fuck the friendships, I ride alone
Destination Death Row, finally found a home
Plus some my homies wanna die, call it euthanasia
Dear Lord, look how sick this ghetto made us
Sincerely yours, I'm a thug, the product of a broken home
Everybody's doped up
****, what you smokin' on?
[Verse 4]
Figure if we high they can train us
But then America fucked up and blamed us
I guess 'cause we black that we targets
My only fear is God, I spit that hard shit
In case you don't know, I let my pump go
Ride for Mutulu like I ride for Geronimo
Down to die for everything I represent
Meant every word in my letter to the president
[Verse 5]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood (What should I do?)
Send more troops
[Verse 6]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 7]
Oh, you's a baller in the White House
I hope you comfortable 'cause, yo, I spent my nights out
When the lights out
Under the safety of darkness amongst the crazed and the heartless
And young souls bros, ready to rode a starship
Armed shit, leave a **** flat for scratch
Regardless, I gotta get it, but you can't understand that
Wanna ban rap, stand back before you get hurt
The only thing makin' pay today besides smoke and work
[Verse 8]
On a mission, listen, must reach my goal with precision
First one of my decisions, I realized this ain't livin'
Driven to to drastic measures tryin' to get stacks and cheddar
Motherfuckers hate cops, wait, it ain't getting better
[Verse 9]
But you keep tellin' us that it is
Why your motherfuckin' troops keep killin' our kids, dead
Don't be surprised if you see us
Comin' with nothin' but artillery to free us, motherfucker
[Verse 10]
Dear Mr. President, tell us what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 11]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 12]
Trapped and angry with no hope and heart broke
Fightin' first my trained brain until it's not so
It's hostile, **** lick shots to watch their Glocks glow
Coppers and coppers, patrol us like we was some animals
And there ain't no peace, my peace a piece on my streets
Just people beefin' and things tweakin' on their fiefs for weeks
Mr. President, it's evident nobody really care for us
Struggle out the gutter, twenty-two with gray hair
[Verse 13]
I was raised to raise Hell
Frail and my heart stale
Swear I'ma bring hell to Earth until my heart fail
Or y'all play fair, give me and mine our share
Till y'all show us y'all care, it's gon' be mayhem out here
Me and these .223s'll freeze the biggest with ease
I'm still a **** you fear
Bring the beast to its knees
And I've been born to represent
For that I've been heaven-sent
And I meant every word in my letter to the president
[Verse 14]
This shit is still fucked up y'all
And y'all wonder when it's gon' get better
It ain't gon' get better
[Verse 15]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 16]
Dear Mr. President tell me what to do
These **** actin' up
[Verse 17]
Heavenly Father, may I holla at ya briefly?
I wanna meet the president, but will he meet me?
Is he scared to look inside the eyes of a thug ****?
We tired of being scapegoats for this capitalistic drug dealin'
[Verse 18]
How hypocritical was liberty?
That blind bitch ain't never did shit for me
My history full of caskets and scars, my own black nation at war
Whole family behind bars
And they wonder why we scarred
Thirteen it get hard
Sister had a baby as an adolescent, where was God?
[Verse 19]
Somewhere in the middle of my mind
Is a **** on tight rope screamin', "Let him die"
Can't lie, I'm a thug, drownin' in my own blood
Lookin' for the reason that my mama strung out on drugs
Down to die for everything that I represent
Meant every word in my letter to the president
[Verse 20]
Blacks is broke, think it's a joke that we livin' low?
Y'all sniffin' blow and postin' what they hittin' for?
Tell the secretary it's necessary we get paid
Look what you made, little kids gettin' sprayed
[Verse 21]
Day after day and night after night
Battles and wars till the daylight
We might change or rearrange if you do somethin'
Till then we gonna keep it comin', Mr. President
And I meant every word in my letter to the president
[Verse 22]
Word motherfuckin' life, "What the fuck this **** think?"
Cuttin' taxes, takin' off welfare
We supposed to just sit here, go broke and die?
Starvin'?
Motherfuckers crazier than a motherfuckin' scout
****, thug life
Westside, Outlaw Immortalz, ****
We finna hustle and come up
[Verse 23]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 24]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 25]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 26]
Dear Mr. President, tell me what to do
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
[Verse 27]
Dear Mr. Clinton, shit (Send more troops)
It's gettin' harder and harder for a motherfucker to make a dollar in these here streets
I mean shit
I hear you screamin' "Peace"
But we can't find peace till my lil' **** on these streets get a piece
I know you feel me 'cause you too near me not to hear me
So won't you help a **** out?
Sayin' you're cuttin' welfare
That got us **** on the street
Thinkin', "Who in the hell care?"
Shit, y'all want us to put down our Glock and our rocks
But y'all ain't ready to give us no motherfuckin' dollars
What happened to our "forty acres and a mule," fool?
[Verse 28]
We ain't stupid
Think you got us lookin' to loop
Tryin' to turn all us young **** into troops
You want us to fight your war?
What the fuck I'm fightin' for?
Shit, I ain't got no love here
Ain't had a check all year, taxes
All the blacks and police beatin' me in the streets
Fuck "peace"
[Verse 29]
These **** actin' up in the hood
Send more troops
Written by: Katari T. Cox, Malcolm R. Greenidge, Tyruss Gerald Himes, Tupac Amaru Shakur, Snoopy