My Life

I'm a take you back to day one, livin' in this new york slum It's deaf to the dumb, only break bread with some Moms left at fifteen, had no American dreams To this day I'm sellin' to my cousin, who's a fiend No one would got me but my older brother Little did we know the dirt we did fell back on my mother But didn't care back then, that's why she left like that Now my parents became the street, and it's best like that Some nights I pray to God and ask him to pull my cord 'Cause times is hard like the opposite street'll leave you scarred Street wise, with no respect for authority and shit A chronic hustler of crack; a typical bitch Raised by Madu, who strung out on a glass dick But every now and then I blessed her with a hit So she don't have to trick It's prevalent amongst kids today Hustle krills, stack dough, and everything's okay [Chorus] It's the emancipation proclamation under the self-devised guidelines Of self preservation and starvation (I gotta live) It's the emancipation proclamation under the self-devised guidelines Of self preservation and starvation (and I gotta live) My life in this world wasn't about diamonds and pearls It was rough growin' up around the boys and girls After daddy left, shit was a mess; momma stressed But I give her an award, 'cause, damn, she tried her best Holdin' down the household, barely had money to fold Christmas time, cherished our little shit like gold I can't front; daddy was still there for me, cared for me But him and mommy breakin' up was like a nightmare to me Yo, this is for the younger fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers Success is nothin' if it ain't; if it was with the others We gotta make the best out of this terrible situation If not for us, for the younger generation We gotta break the chain, and deal with the pain For all our people that was slayed in vain (revenge) For all our peoples that was falsely framed (revenge) For all our peoples that's livin' the name [Chorus] Let me show; I gotta love L.O.D., they put me under they wing And then I teamed up with the most beautiful thing In the world, 'cause L.O.D. we all we got I'm a fans and my mans keep it, like it or not I know it hurts havin' to do everyday dirt Police all over my back; feel like bustin' them jerks When I'm my road to the riches, I stay away from snitches And them bitches, and keep my mind on business Life was tough, so I became aggressive like a pit The only time I felt relaxed was when the blunt was lit Thinkin' me and my team can be tight like the Gambino Muscle in the hustle scene; respected like Leno It gets deeper than the words of Proverbs New thoughts emerge as I cop the squat on the curb Thinkin' the herb; strengthen my brain like spinach And heavy shine, flooded with ice might; reduce my self-spirits Stick 'em; my life is so real it hurts Like when I saw my pops bein' driven off in a hearse Like when I saw my mother bein' driven off in a hearse Like you school when the roach crawl out my shirt Like on thanksgiving when we got free food from the church Back then it was DJ Red Alert and Cool Herc Rockin' been stripe knees and latigra shirts Back then L.O.D. was puttin' in work From the cradle to the grave We all in the struggle, we gon' struggle, we gon' strive to stay alive All my real people know what I'm talkin' about Watch each other backs Word up; my life is nothing without my niggas, word up