Now I've seen places and faces
and things you ain't never thought about thinkin'
if you ain't peeped then you must be drinkin'
and smokin'
pretending not to loc'in but you're broken
let me get you open
now little Timmy got his diploma and
little Jimmy got life
and Tamika round the corner just took her first hit off the pipe
the other homie shot the other homie and ran off with his 20
and when the other homies heard about it they thought that it was funny
but who's the dummy, cause you just lost a hustler
a down ass brother been replaced by a buster
and though I got love for you, I know I can't trust you
cause my crew is rollin' Hummers and your crew is rollin' dusters
and just because of that you act like you don't like a brother no more
I guess that's just the way it go
I ain't tryin' to preach, I believe I can reach
but your mind ain't prepared
I'll see you when you get there
Chorus:
I'll see you when you get there
if you ever get there
see you when you get there
I'll see you when you get there
if you ever get there
see you when you get there
Verse 2: Lek Ratt (of 40 Thevz)
More temptation than faith
I guess we livin' for the day
I seen a man get swept off his feet by a boy with an AK
the situation so twisted everybody gettin lifted
I'm just tryin to take care of my kids and handle my business
cause it's way too serious so you gotta pay close attention
so you don't get caught slippin' when they come and do all the gettin'
life is a big game so you gotta play it with a big heart
some of us gotta run a little faster cause we gotta later start
but I'd be a fool to surrender when I know I can be a contender
and if everybody's a sinner then everybody could ba a winner
no matter you rag color deep down we all brothers
and regardless of the time somebody up there still love us
I'm gonna scuffle and struggle until I'm breathless and weak
I just strived my whole life to make it to the mountain peak
always keep reachin' be sure to grab hold of something
I'll be there when you get there when you wit the sounds bumpin'
Chorus:
I'll see you when you get there
if you ever get there
see you when you get there
I'll see you when you get there
if you ever get there
see you when you get there
Verse 3: PS (of 40 Thevz)
You need to loosen up
and live a little
and if you got kids let them know how you feel
and for your own sake give a little
oh, you don't want to hear that
you busy tryin' to stack
and keep up with the Jones' taking advantage of your own
the realest homies that you've been knowin' for the longest
but some ain't missing a good thing until it's gone
could have built an empire if not for the jealousy that divides us
we prefer to keep our eyes shut to describe when
it's something wrong and we desire
so hold your head up high if your poor and righteous
I know time seems strife
and the problems seem endless
but at times of despair we gotta pull ourselves together
and if you fell you're out the game then you need to get back in it
cause' nothing worse than a quitter
you gotta face responsibility one day, my brother
so gather up your pitty and turn it to ambition
and put your vehicle in drive and stop by my side
Chorus:
(Coolio)
As we walk down the road of our destiny
and the time comes to choose which it gonna be
the wide and crooked, or the straight and narrow
we got one voice to give and one life to live
stand up for something or lie down in your game
listen to the song that we sing
it's up to you to make it be
I guess I'll see you when you see me
(chorus fade out)
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life and realize there's not much left
coz I've been blastin and laughin so long, that
even my mama thinks that my mind is 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 better watch how you're talking, and where you're walking
or you and your homies might be lined in chalk
I really hate to trip but i gotta, loc
As I Grow I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool
I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be like
on my knees in the night, saying prayers in the streetlight
been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
They got the situation, they got me facin'
I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the stripes
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 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye
I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' banger
and my homies is down so don't arouse my anger, fool
death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away,
I'm living life, do or die, what can I say
I'm 23 now, but will I live to see 24
the way things are going I don't know
Chorus:
Tell me why are we, so blind to see
That the one's we hurt, are you and me
been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
Power and the money, money and the power
minute after minute, hour after hour
everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking
what's going on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's kickin'
they say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me
if they can't undersstand 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
been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise
Tell me why are we, so blind to see
That the one's we hurt, are you and me
Tell me why are we, so blind to see
That the one's we hurt, are you and me
(fade out)
