[Verse 1: 2Pac]
I never had a father figure
I was raised by the thugs and the drug dealers, that's why I love niggas!
Until they place me in my casket, guess I'll be a hopeless bastard
Getting high in the back, plastered
Ain't nobody make a way for me
Times is hard on a nigga, Mama pray for me
I'm smokin' weed for the stress and drinkin' for the pain
From the strain on the young brother's brain
Ain't a motherfucking thing to do
But hang and stay true, thugs get lonely too
I'm drinking 22's of brew 'til I'm tipsy
And I ain't going out throwing up my middle finger, miss me?
Tryna get my hands on the cash
How long will it last? Will it last a little longer if I blast?
And trust me, I'll probably be the last to preach
'Cause ain't no hope for the future if they're asking me
And what my poppa never told me
You see I learned from the kindness of strangers and homies
So now I can't turn back, time to make it through
They wanna ban for tryna feed my family
But all the homies in the hood told me, "Nigga it's all good"
And motherfuck Hollywood!
For tryna shut a real nigga down, stayin' true to the game
Fuck the fame, I still won't change, are you still down?
[Chorus: Natasha Walker & 2Pac]
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
[Verse 2: 2Pac]
Now up and at 'em it's on, I was raised to be strong
And Mama told me be a thug since the day I was born
I came up out the gutter never changed my style
Got for real about my papers 'cause the game was wild
And the fame was a plot to try to change me
And what's strange is nobody knew my name 'fore it came
Now the whole world is calling me a killer
And all I ever did was try to reach the kids with the real
All the time I was ballin', never heard my friends callin'
Couldn't stop myself from fallin', I'm all in
The shit's gettin' sleazy, believe me
Best to take what you need, but don't be greedy
'Cause in my mind I see sunshine
I thought I didn't have to run, now I'm duckin' from the gun yellin', "One time!"
Take the time to feel my record, and if you did chill a second
My blind method, will still wreck it
My young homies stay strong
I wonder if they'll listen to a nigga when he gone, are you still down?
[Chorus: 2Pac]
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
[Verse 3: 2Pac]
I'm gettin' high, so a nigga think he touch the sky
Turn tough inside in the rush to die
Livin' life as a thug, time to face the truth
What's goin' on with the wasted youth?
Please, God, come and save me, had to work with what you gave me
They got a nigga goin' crazy
I can't read the signs, I'm blind
But a nigga know he need his nine 'cause times
Ain't what they used to be
Ain't a penitentiary built big enough for me and my niggas on the streets
Man, listen 'cause these ain't the old days
Ain't no way am I busting my ass and getting no pay
It seems I can't find my focus
And homey I ain't paranoid, I seen the future and it's hopeless
Lord knows it's hard on a young scrub
It seems I had less problems when I slung drugs
But since I'm lacing young brothers with the game
Wanna see me locked in chains and tryna dirty up my name
And them same motherfuckers that was callin' me
Will be the first to turn their back when I'm fallin', see?
I should have seen it from the jump, but now it's clear
One nigga got the town in fear and are you still down?
[Outro]
All I want to know, are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Tell me, are you still down?
Are you still down?