As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life and realize there's not much left
'cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long
That even my mama thinks that my mind is gone
But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
He be treated like a punk, you know that son heard up
You better watch how you talkin' and where you walkin'
Or you and your homiez might be lined in chalk
I really hate to trip, but I gotta, Loc
As they cope, I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool
I'm the kinda G the little homiez wannabe like
On my knees in the night
Saying prayers in the street light
[Chorus]
We've been spending most our lives
living in the Gangstas Paradise
They got the situation
They got me facin'
I can't live with no more rights
I was raised by the stripes
So I gotta be down with the hood team
Too much television watchin' got me chasin' dreams
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind
Got my 10 in my hand and the green in my eye
I'm a loced-out gangsta set-trippin' banger
And my homiez is, so don't arouse my anger, fool
Death ain't nothin' but a heartbeat away
I'm livin' life doin' time, what can I say?
I'm 23, now how will I live to see 24
The way things is goin', I dunno
[Chorus]
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
We've been spending most our lives
living in the Gangstas Paradise
Power and the money, money and the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybodys runnin', but half of them ain't lookin'
At what's goin' on in the kitchen
But I don't know what's kickin'
They say I gotta learn, but nobodys here to teach me
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?
I guess they can't
I guess they won't
I guess they front
that's why I know my life is outta luck, fool
[Chorus]
We've been spending most our lives
living in the Gangstas Paradise
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
I take a look at my life and realize there's not much left
'cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long
That even my mama thinks that my mind is gone
But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
He be treated like a punk, you know that son heard up
You better watch how you talkin' and where you walkin'
Or you and your homiez might be lined in chalk
I really hate to trip, but I gotta, Loc
As they cope, I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool
I'm the kinda G the little homiez wannabe like
On my knees in the night
Saying prayers in the street light
[Chorus]
We've been spending most our lives
living in the Gangstas Paradise
They got the situation
They got me facin'
I can't live with no more rights
I was raised by the stripes
So I gotta be down with the hood team
Too much television watchin' got me chasin' dreams
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind
Got my 10 in my hand and the green in my eye
I'm a loced-out gangsta set-trippin' banger
And my homiez is, so don't arouse my anger, fool
Death ain't nothin' but a heartbeat away
I'm livin' life doin' time, what can I say?
I'm 23, now how will I live to see 24
The way things is goin', I dunno
[Chorus]
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
We've been spending most our lives
living in the Gangstas Paradise
Power and the money, money and the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybodys runnin', but half of them ain't lookin'
At what's goin' on in the kitchen
But I don't know what's kickin'
They say I gotta learn, but nobodys here to teach me
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?
I guess they can't
I guess they won't
I guess they front
that's why I know my life is outta luck, fool
[Chorus]
We've been spending most our lives
living in the Gangstas Paradise
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me