[Intro: Nas]

What we need to be thinkin' about is the future!

We don't know what's in store tomorrow!

All we can do is just guess! We want the best for tomorrow

For our family, for our children, for our future

But if we don't get up and act like we want it

We gotta pray to somebody! We ain't too tough to pray!

You walkin' around like a gangsta – gangstas pray! Thugs pray!

Tell me somethin', if you ain't prayin', where would y'all be today?

Where would y'all momma be today? How would you be here?

Somebody prayin' for you, nigga!

[Verse 1: Horse]

I never thought bein' a man, you could hang in the end

Facin' life with no parole or consecut' sentencin'

Got people witnessin', your co-defendent snitchin'

Your back against the wall, your left eye is twitchin' (Uh)

Loyal ladies usual, a D-and A's the mutual

Scared to face the lights of a courtroom site

Racist cops on each side 'cause they know I just might

Make a break for the door but I give it my all

If I die in this struggle, give my momma a call

'Cause she always left these jewels, what goes up must fall

Since I fell, dead broke, landed in jail

Refused to face the facts; how wifey skipped town with the bail

I'm on my own now; V8, far away from home now

Palmer wealth state, the law changes each date

Secret indictments got me knocked, there ain't no price I can pay

To get me the fuck up out this shit, so to Allah, I pray

For forgiveness; yes, I sinned and I need to be held

And jail ain't no place a Black man wanna be killed

Amen

[Chorus: Horse]

I only pray when shit is fucked up!

I only pray when my life is lookin' bad luck!

I only pray when I'm in mothafuckin' handcuffs!

Callin' out for someone, somewhere! Is there anybody out there?

[Verse 2: Wiz]

I look up at the sky, 'Why do young niggas die?'

Felt the stray hit me; somebody, stay with me

Fallin' to the ground with the sound of a four-pound near me

Bitches screamin', wish I was dreamin'

I fought a thousand gun fights, near one bullet skipped me

On the morning run to get my little sisters Rice Krispies

Played the numbers, knowin' that I got my lucky dice wit' me

See, some niggas I know I can roll, uh (Uh!)

Get 'em bitches, left all of 'em broke, left what they smoke

Hoes yellin', "Watch ya back!"

But before I could turn around, before I could I react

Blaow! Blaow! Blaow! Would you look at me now?

Is this blood that I feel as I fell to the ground?

Feel like a headshot, but maybe just grazed my temple

Niggas diggin' in my pockets, sayin' I just rolled a pimple

Yo, my mouth was movin' but it was nothin' I was sayin'

Only if they knew deep inside my mind, I was prayin'

Amen

[Chorus: Horse]

I only pray when shit is fucked up!

I only pray when my life is lookin' bad luck!

I only pray when I need his help the most, what?!

Callin' out to someone, somewhere! Yo, is anybody out there?

[Verse 3: Jungle, 𝘕𝘢𝘴]

Ain't nothin' stoppin' me; untouchable

Hoes, I fucked a few

Style like The Greatest, Ali; check what the knuckle do

Rock bubblegoose to mink, big links

Yellow ice, live the ghetto life; fuck y'all think?

Bravehearted

Fuck around, get grave-yarded, dearly departed

The word on the street, I'm a target

I ain't runnin', I ain't hidin', I'm ridin'

I be gunnin', y'all be duckin' and divin'

When I come through buckin' this four-five in

Revenge you sayin' you gettin' (Uh-huh)

But shit is gettin' too wild, this lifestyle of sprayin' weapons

So I check out the preacher; life is off the meter

Thoughts of homicide, tryin' to dodge the reaper

Confessions in a church 'cause it hurts; behind a curtain

Nigga talkin' to me, but I ain't certain

Voice sound familiar, so, I pulled the shade back

It was this stupid nigga that I popped way back

He set me up, he just got to the priest

I tried to reach, but he had his heat pointed my way

And said, "Pray" (Prayers, nigga)

[Spoken Outro: Nas]

You've got to pray, huh! I mean pray, pray

And when you pray, you got to look up to the Lord, huh!

You got to look up and you got to pray for your children, huh!

You got to pray for that man in front of the liquor store, huh!

You got to pray for that man on the corner!

You know he doin' wrong, but somebody gotta pray for him, huh!

You know we doin' wrong, but we gotta pray for ourselves!

You know, we are headin' to this new millennium, goddamnit!

They say a comet is comin' to this world by the year 2000. I say it's God!

It's up to you to pray to that higher power higher than yourself

And humble yourself

And, and, and beg for forgiveness

'Cause it comes back to you!

A man told me that while he was in jail, all he did was pray

All he did was stay in his jail cell and pray to God...