[Intro]

Uh-huh (Uh)

Blackhand Entertainment (Yea)

Roc-A-Fella Records

In association with the streets

The Black Gangster

In conjunction

With everything official

Yeah

[Verse 1]

I ride through the ghetto windows down halfway (Uh)

Halfway out of my mind music on 9, blasting Donny Hathaway

Me and my niggas spending half the day

Plotting, how we gon' get this math today without gettin' blast away?

I wake up to the same problems after today

Life is harsh, nigga got a right to spark

Right from the start, they place me in the ghetto, tender age of nine

My tender mind had to surrender to crime

Wouldn't wish this on nobody life to end up like mine

Ever since I was quite young a nigga been in a bind

Had to scratch for every plaque, even rap ain't all it's cracked up to be

Niggas don't stack up to me

Had to hustle in a world of trouble

Trapped in, claustrophobic, the only way out was rapping

America don't understand it, the demographics I tapped in

I'm the truest nigga to do this, nigga, and anything else is foolish

Like those who stay high, under God's grey skies

My lyrics is like Bible, made to save lives

In the midst of all your misery nigga, stay fly

Never let em see you frown, even smile when you down

Shit, I floss on my off-days, fuck what they all say

Niggas can't stop me with rumors, I'm too strong

All day, socks explode and sweatpants pockets is bulging

Holdin' it down on the corner with my block frozen

My spot is rolling, drop the price on the coke and

Drove the competition out and let the dough flow in

The cops is closing in, I can do the time

But what's really on my mind, there ain't no hoes in the pen

I play the low and try and make it hard to find me

Feds still tryna build a case since '93

I told them I'm retired, but they like whatever

You know them pigs don't wanna see you get your life together

[Chorus]

I'm stuck in this life forever

The more things change the more they stay the same

Who am I to change the game?

You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine

The block's hotter than its ever been

(Once again)

[Verse 2]

Hold the gun at eye level, I ain't afraid of conflict

I let the nine rip, nigga say "hi" to the devil

I blind with the bezel, I'm in line with the ghetto

What y'all niggas afraid of, my mind or the metal?

Niggas tryna subtract my life, my mathematics is precise

I carry the 9, so fucking with me just ain't the answer

I just can't lose when I was young I was like Fresh

Poppa raised me to chess moves

And though you're gone, I'm not bitter, you left me prepared

We got divided by the years, but I got it from here

Don't sweat that, sounds bump from Marcy to LeFrak

To that project in DC where my man caught his death at

Over my years I've seen Rooks get tooken by the Knight

Lose they Crown by tryna defend a Queen

Checkmate in 4 moves, the Bobby Fischer of rap with raw moves

In a time where we all move

Let's face it: either you're dough chasing or basing

Lacing, crack's got you feelin' strong like Mason

Careful, any infiltration, I'm leaving niggas

Leaking more than just information

[Chorus]

I'm stuck in this life forever

The more things change the more they stay the same

Who am I to change the game?

You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine

The block's hotter than its ever been

I'm stuck in this life forever

The more things change the more they stay the same

Who am I to change the game?

You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine

The block's hotter than its ever been

[Outro]

Uh, real shit, huh

The Black Gangsta

Blackhand Entertainment

Roc-A-Fella

They'll never interrupt this thing of ours

Uhh, The Black Gangsta

Jigga, Hova

Roll with me now