[Hook]
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
[Verse 1: Chris Webby]
Rap was all I ever thought about, listened to, talked about
Back before money was all they talked about, (aw shit)
When I was young, the rappers could really rap, kid
Now they more concerned about they ad-libs
Listening to rappers like a student in a lecture
Mimicking the cadences and practicing the gestures
Eminem was rappin’ ’bout pills, so I popped those
Swinging my shirt in the air like Petey Pablo
Studied the greats from Pun to 2Pac
Walked around my private school with my tapes in a shoe box
Handed my music out to people I sold weed to
Watching MTV, tellin’ myself “that’s gonna be you”
Tapin’ the radio and puttin’ it on cassette
Now I’m gettin’ bombs dropped on my shit by Funk Flex
It’s a trip, man – I just sit back and roll the purple
Now watch this whole thing come around full circle
[Hook]
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
[Verse 2: Smoke DZA]
Young nigga, influenced by the TV heavy
Eatin’ Little Debbies’, tuned into Fab Five Freddy
Vids I watched ‘em all, emulating applause
I ain’t fuck with Superman, my super hero was Biggie Smalls
Rappin’ with my dawgs proudly, nobody was cold as me
Wishing somebody’d notice me
Dreams to get a deal ’cause the speech so sick
Now they talkin’ ’bout deals, and I’m like “keep that shit”
Went through a lot of BS, lucky me
Times had me like “this ain’t what it’s cracked up to be”
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander
It’s good for the blogs, it’s good for the slander
Nowadays, they wishing it was how it was before
But that was back in the days when I was young
I’m not a kid anymore
The OGs that I listened to, I’m friends with
When I was younger, a nigga never would’ve thinked this
[Hook]
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
[Verse 3: Jon Connor]
When I was younger nobody told us or showed us, crooked promoters
Flint, Michigan, General Motors held the weight on our shoulders
Until the shops started closing, felt like ain’t nobody want us
Our parents worked to the bone, now they ain’t got a bone to throw us
Now see how many kids is daydreaming about a label
Yep, this rap shit is a bitch but the only one that was faithful
Make it or die trying, at times it almost got fatal
My niggas was moving ‘caine and at times they was barely able
Brothers killin’ brothers, shit goin’ on all around me
Genesee County would ground me and teachers would try to clown me
‘Cause I had heart that was bigger than my surroundings
I got flooded with hate, but no way I could let ‘em drown me
Picture this one:
I used to go to sleep at night listening to “It Was Written”
Then fastforward, Nas is tellin’ me “nigga, you gifted”
If you fall, just shake it off
Now they sayin’ it’s my time, but time just caught up with my thoughts
[Hook]
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…
[Outro]
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful…
Oh it was beautiful, magical…