To Live And Die In L.A.

"What do you feel when you hear a record like Tupac's new one?"

"I love Tupac's new record."

"Right, but don't you feel like, that creates tension between
East and West? He's talking about killing people, 
I had sex with your wife and not in those words,
but he's talking about I wanna see you deceased."


No doubt, to live and die in L.A. California.
What'cha saying about Los Angeles?
Still the only place for me that never rains in the sun.

To live and die in L.A. where everyday we try a fatten our pockets.
Us niggas' hustle for the cash so it's hard to knock it.
Everybody got their own thing, currency chasin'.
World wide thru the hard times, worrying faces.
Shed tears as we bury niggas close to heart.
Oh, was a friend now a ghost in the dark.
Cold hearted, my nigga got smoked by a fiend.
Trying to floss on em', blind to a broken man's dreams.
A hard lesson, court cases keep 'em guessin'.
Plea bargain ain't an option now so I'm stressin'.
Cost me more to be free than a life in the pen.
Making money off of cuss words, writing again.
Learn how to think ahead so I fight with my pen.
Late night down Sunset like in a scene.
What's the worst they could do to a nigga? Got me lost in hell.
To live and die in L.A. on bail. My angels sing, 

To live and die in L.A., it's the place to be
you've got to be there to know it. Where everybody wanna see.
(Repeat)

It's the city of angles and constant danger.
South Central LA, can't get no stranger.
Full of drama like a soap opera on the curb.
Watching the ghetto bird, helicopters.
I observe so many niggas' getting 3 strikes tossed in jail
So where's the pen? Right across from hell.
I can't cry cause it's home now.
I'm just a nigger on his own now.
Living life thug style so I can't smile.
Writing to my peoples when they ask for pictures.
Thinkin' Cali's just fun and bitches.
Better learn about the dress code, B's and C's.
All them other niggas' copycats, these is G's.
I love Cali like I love women,
'cause every nigger in LA got a little bit of thug in em'.
We might fight amongst each other but I promise you this,
we'll burn this bitch down, get us pissed.
To live and die in L.A.

To live and die in L.A., it's the place to be.
Let my angel sing
You've got to be there to know it, where everybody wanna see.
To live & die in L.A., it's the place to be.
To live & die in L.A.
You've got to be there to know it, where everybody wanna see.

What would be L.A. without Mexicans?
Black love, brown pride in the sets again.
Pete Wilson trying to see us all broke.
I'm on some bullshit out for everything they owe.
Remember K day, weekends, Crenshaw, MLK?
Automatics rang free, niggas' lost their way.
Gang signs being shown, nigga love your hood,
but reconize and it's all good.
Where the weed at, niggas getting shermed out.
Snoop Dogg in this mother fucker permed out.
M.O.B. Big Suge in the low lo bounce and turn.
Dogg Pound in the Lex with an ounce to burn.
Got them watts niggas with me, OMCB.
They got some hash, took a stash, left the rest for me.
Neckbone, Dre, Hey Ron, too.
Pete Rock got knocked but this one's for you.
I hit the studio and drop a jewel, hopin' it pay.
Getting high, watching time fly.
To live and die in L.A. 

To live and die in L.A., it's the place to be
you've got to be there to know it. Where everybody wanna see.
(Repeat)

"This goes out for 92.3 and 106. All the radio stations that
be bumping my shit. Making my shit sell catruple, catrople
platinum. This goes out to all the magazines that support a
nigger. All the real mother fuckers. All the stores, the mom
and pop spots, A&R people, all y'all mother fuckers. L.A.
California Love part mother fuckin' two. Without gay-ass Dre!



Transcription 1996 by Jim Moore for Relativity Labs.
Written by Makaveli, Val Young.
1996 Death Row/Interscope Records. All Rights Reserved.
Used without permisson.