As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life
And realize there's nothing left
'Cause I've been blasting and laughing so long
That even my momma thinks that my mind has gone
But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of
You betta watch how ya talking
And where ya walking
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk

I really hate to trip but I gotta loc
As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke
Fool, I'm the kinda g that little homie's wanna be like
On my knees in the night
Saying prayers in the street light

Been spending most our lives
Living in a gangsta's paradise

Keep spending most our lives
Living in a gangsta's paradise

Look at the situation, they got me facing
I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the state
So I gotta be down with the 'hood team
Too much television watching, got me chasing dreams
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind
Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye
I'm a locked out gangsta, set tripping banger
And my homies are down so don't arouse my anger
Fool, death ain't nothing but a heart beat away
I'm living life do or die, what can I say?
I'm twenty-three now, will I ever live to see twenty-four
The way things is going I don't know.

Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me?

Power in the money, money in the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking
It's going on in the kitchen
But I don't know what's cooking.
They say I gotta learn
But nobody's here to teach me
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?
I guess they can't
I guess they won't, I guess they front
That's why I know my life is out of luck, fool