We Will Survive

Still somehow I believe, we always survive.. but why? [Nas] To my dogs, wherever you are What up Big? You know shit is rough after you slid You in God's hands now, keep a place for me kid Ain't nothing changed, still "Party and Bullshit" We used to +Fuck R&B Bitches+ and see who rhyme sickest For every hit you made, more rappers afraid to come out "Machine Gun Funk", from Queens I came through to smoke blunts You came to my hood, we was broke I wonder if we stayed that way, would there have been gun smoke? Still on the block around fiends numb from coke, I guess so Cause now with paper, shit is still ghetto But fuck it black, you living your life, though your loved ones Peace to your daughter and your newborn son It used to be fun, making records to see your response But, now competition is none, now that you're gone And these niggas is wrong, using your name in vain And they claim to be New York's king? It ain't about that It's more serious, I plan to toast it up with you Joke with you, happy we on top, the most official Ain't too many real ones out there; I feel some But doubt they're, capable, to take it where you took it to I missed your wake not cause I'm fake Cause I hate to see somebody so great in that way I would of stayed so long with so much to say I had to put it in writing to keep me and Brooklyn from fighting Telling me to pay my respects and move to the side But I probably wouldn't have got off my knees to let people by You can't kill nothing that's "Ready to Die" You was like God to us in the form of Allah Still somehow I believe, we always survive, but why? [Nas] Still, we, will survive No matter what, my people just stay alive Still, we, will survive No matter what, my people just stay alive Thug Life never die Dear 'Pac, every thug sheds a tear drop, and use teeth To bite off beer tops, and "Pour Out a Lil' Liquor" You was more than just the wildest nigga "2Pacalypse", I understand your style nigga It's going on the third year, since you've been gone On the East and West Coast the same shit is going on The industry be talking, offending me often They don't believe you dead, want to see you in your coffin I can relate, shootouts and court dates "All Eyez on You+, niggas in your face invading your space You asked if I could trade in your place, how would I hold up? How long would I ride, before I fold up? How did you know through your rhymes it was your time to go? You predicted it in every line, all in your flow There could "Never Be Peace" I have to quote Can't believe I heard my name on "the realest shit you ever wrote" We had words cause the best supposed to clash at the top But kept it brotherly, when we seen each other and stopped In NYC, at MTV, people watched We was both deep, after you left, I got no sleep Think about how us real niggas would be If we united, a nation of thugs, who could fight it? You was caught in a wild homicide, or were you crucified Like the son of God, when Lucifer lied And make the world think, young blacks should be extinct? But Thug Life'll never die, we stay high and just link Will there ever be another MC as nice? Will you return to us like the resurrection of Christ? Still somehow I believe, we always survive, but why? [Nas] Still, we, will survive No matter what, my people just stay alive Still, we, will survive No matter what, my people just stay alive I wonder what the Commodores went through on tour? Did Smokey Robinson, have to shoot his way out a war? What has Al Green seen, that made him religious? Was it the drugs, put an end to the music business? If so, should I put out the indo right now and write down A plan and pursue my dream turn my life around Cause I'm bound for the movie screen, cuties that scream I'll need a extra Uzi riding through my own hood in Queens It be the ones you always knew, that want it on Telling everybody it was him, that you fronted on Thought we walked a million miles it was just twenty Not used to walking in the path of legit money I thought I made it but we only took baby steps Up the success ladder, where they pay me checks To my clicks when I got it I said "Baby bless" That was the 80's, but now look at this crazy mess We in the 90's, and finally it's looking good Hip-hop took it to billions, I knew we would A lot of ups and downs in the game, could lose or gain A couple pounds trying to maintain, one day you here The next you not, when you around niggas, check 'em out Some is bout it, most individuals plots And run the spots, some choose to stay to they-selves While others have no cares and stay in jail More than fifty percent of us Ending up with holes through the chest Through the head, through the gut it shows The future for us young shooters and old killers Who become rich as dope dealers? Nothing left for us but hoop dreams and hood tournaments Thug coaches with subs sitting on the bench; either that or rap We want the fast way outta this trap Whether it be 9 to 5 or slanging crack To my deceased Gods wishing I could bring you back But life is a dream and y'all taught me that Always survive, but why? [Nas] Always survive, always Still, we, will survive No matter what, my people just stay alive Still, we, will survive No matter what, my people just stay alive Still, we, will survive (no matter what) Still, we, will survive (no matter what) Still, we, will survive No matter what, my niggaz just stay alive