It Ain't Easy

I take a shot of Henessee now I'm strong enough to face the madness.
Nickel bag full of sens weed laced with hash.
Phone calls from my niggas on the other side,
two childhood friends just died.
I couldn't cry. A damn shame, when will we ever change?
And what remains from a twelve gauge to the brain?
Arguments with my foolish troop,
I spend more time with my niggas then I do with you.
But everywhere it's the same thang.
That's the game, I'll be damned if a thing changed.
Fuck the fame. I'll be hustling to make a million.
Lord knows, ain't no love for us ghetto children.
So we cold, rag top slowin' down time to stop for gas.
Beep my horn for a hoochie with a proper ass.
It ain't easy, that's my motto drinkin' Tanquery straight out the bottle.
Everybody wanna know if I'm insane.
My baby's mama got her mind full of silly games.
All the drama got me stressin' like I'm hopeless.
I can't cope. Me and the homies smokin' roaches,
cuz we broke. Late night hangin' out till the sunrise.
Gettin' high, watchin' the cops roll by.
It ain't easy.

It ain't easy being me.
Will I see the penitentary or will I stay free?
(Repeat 2x)

I can't sleep, niggas plottin' on to kill me
while I'm dreaming. Wake up sweaty and screaming
'cause I can hear them suckers scheming.
Probably paranoid, the problem is them punks be fantasizing.
A brother bite the bullet, open fire and I thought,
"I wonder why this the way it is."
Even now looking out for these
killer kids, 'cause they wild.
Bill Clinton can you recognize a nigga representin',
doin' 20 to life in San Quinten?
Gettin' calls from my nigga Mike Tyson.
Ain't nuttin' nice,
"Yo Pac, do something rightegous with your life."
And even though you innoccent, you still a nigga
So they figure rather have you behind bars then triggers.
But I'm a hold you down, holla "Thug Life."
Lickin' shots till I see my niggas free on my block.

No, it ain't easy.
Till I see my niggas free on the block.

It ain't easy being me.
Will I see the penitentary or will I stay free?
(Repeat 2x)

Lately, I've been reminiscin' about peppermint schnaps
in Junior High. Hit the block,
keep an eye on the cops while D-boyz slang rocks.
It's the project kid without a conscience.
I'm having dreams of hearing screams at my concerts.
Me and all my childhood peers through the years,
tried to stack a little green. I was only seventeen
when I started servin' fiends.
And I wish there was another way to stack a dollar.
Sold my Impala, 'cause these hard times make me wanna hollar.
Will I live to see tommorrow? Am I fallin' off?
I hit the weed and proceed to say, 'fuck all of y'all!'
Ain't nobody down with me I'm thuggin'.
I can't go home 'cause muther-fuckers think I'm buggin'.
So now I'm in this high powered cell at the county jail.
Punk judge got a grudge, can't post no bail.
What do I do in these county blues?
Gettin' battered and bruised by the you know who.
And these fakes get to shakin' when they face me.
Snakes ain't got enough nuts to replace me.
Sittin' in this livin' hell, listenin' to niggas yell.
Tryin' to torture him to tell, I'm gettin' ill.
But ain't nobody sayin' much. The same old nuts
is makin' bucks while these sluts is gettin' fucked.
They violated my probation
and it seems I'll be going on a long vacation.
But meanwhile, it ain't easy.
You know it ain't easy.

It ain't easy being me.
Will I see the penitentary or will I stay free?
(Repeat 5x)



Transcription 1995 by Jim Moore for Relativity Labs.
Written by Tupac Shakur, T. Pizarro.
Copyright 1995 Interscope Records. All Rights Reserved.
Used without permisson.