[Intro]

They cuttin' off welfare

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me (They think crime is rising now)

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (You got whites killing Blacks)

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me (Cops killing Blacks)

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (And Blacks killing Blacks)

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (Shit just gon' get worse)

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (They just gon' become soldiers)

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me (Straight soldiers)

[Chorus]

All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All you wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All you wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All you wanted to be, a soldier, like me

[Verse 1]

Crack done took a part of my family tree

My mama's on the shit, my daddy split and mom is steady blaming me

Is it my fault, just 'cause I'm a young Black male?

Cops sweat me as if my destiny is makin' crack sales

Only fifteen and got problems

Cops on my tail, so I bail 'til I dodge 'em

They finally pull me over and I laugh

"Remember Rodney King?" and I blast on his punk ass

Now I got a murder case

You speak of Heaven punk? I never heard of the place

Wanted to come up fast, got a Uz' and a black mask

Duckin' fuckin' task, now who's the jackass?

Keep my shit cocked 'cause the cops got a Glock too

What the fuck would you do? Drop them or let 'em drop you?

I chose droppin' the cop

I got me a Glock, and a Glock for the niggas on my block

Mama tried to stab me, I moved out

Sold a pound of weed, made G's, bought a new house

I'm only seventeen, I'm the new king

Got me a crew, bought 'em jewels, and a Uz'-thing

But all good things don't last

Task came fast, and busted my Black ass

Coolin' in the pen, where the good's kept

Now my little brother wants to follow in my footsteps, a soldier

[Chorus]

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

[Verse 2]

Buck, buck, niggas get fucked, don't step to this

Quiet as kept, I'm blessed on a quest with a death wish

Tell 'em to come and test and arrest, nigga, it's hectic

Here's the anorexic, I'm makin' it to an exit

Walking through the streets on the Black tip

Packed with several gats 'cause I'm on some pay 'em back shit

Niggas don't wanna try me, brother, you'll get shot down

Now I'm king of the block since my bigger brother's locked down

I'm hot now, so many punk police have got shot down

Other coppers see me on the block and they jock now

That's what I call a kingpin

Send my brother what he needs and some weed up to Sing-Sing

Tell him just be ready, set

Pack ya shit up quick and when I hit, be prepared to jet

Niggas from the block on the boat now

Every single one got a gun that'll smoke, pow

These punks about to get hit by the best

I'm wearin' double vest, so aim at my fuckin' chest

I'll be makin' straight dome calls

Touch the button on the wall, you'll be pickin' up your own balls

I can still hear my mother shout

"Hit the pen, nigga, break your bigger brother out"

I got a message for the warden

I'm comin' for your ass as fast as Flash Gordon

We get surrounded in the mess hall

Yes, y'all, a crazy motherfucker making death calls

Just bring me my brother and we leavin'

For every minute you stall, one of y'all bleedin'

They brought my brother in a jiffy

I took a cop just in case things got tricky

And just as we was walkin' out (Bang)

I caught a bullet in the head, the screams never left my mouth

My brother caught a bullet, too

I think he gon' pull through, he deserve to

The fast life ain't everything they told ya

Never get much older, following the tracks of a soldier

[Chorus]

A soldier, a soldier

All he ever wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All he wanted to be (All he ever wanted to be), a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

[Outro]

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier

All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

All he wanted to be—

Straight soldier, 1993 onward

Yellin' it 'cause nobody else is tellin'—