Chorus: [x4]
That's the look of pain
You never want to see
When a ghetto youth finds out
His dreams my never be
Verse One:
I've seen crack sales in broad daylight on park benches
Old folks watch it from the windows in they kitchens
Convinced the police don't care and won't listen
Hopin' that they got some under covers takin' pictures
They ain't tryin' to be the ones that gotta save the system
For every five thugs, maybe one will go to prison
The other four are left to intimidate the witness
Go to trail against them and you might come up missin'
Lookin' at the odds it's a no brain decision
Unless you wanna jeopardize your family and children
And so they keep their eyes closed, continue feedin' kittens
And open up their blinds again, when the sale is finished
They hope that dope don't invade their fam
But how would you cope if your moms was smokin' grams?
See that's what I be thinkin' when I bump into my man
Gave him a bear hug and shook his cold hand
Asked about the future, if he had a plan
Aside from the hustlin' and corner store scams
He said, "Life is hard", I said, "I understand"
The weight of his home life was more than he could stand
The oldest of four seeds, he's only fifteen
But everybody lookin' towards him to make the cream
He said, enroll in college might help him to change things
Managin' a smile while he spoke so painfully
Then he started to choke up
As if he woke up
And realized that whatever he made his mom would smoke up
Chorus
Verse Two:
It's hard to stay optimistic as a ghetto youth
When you can't anticipate the days ahead of you
It's like, dope fiend next to you
Gangs keep stressin' you
Pharmacists operate the block makin' revenue
They never get caught cause they know the cops schedules
And every time you come home it's like your mom questions you
She don't wanna see you on the street corner gettin' loot
You told her that was something you would never do
You concentrate on school
Your grades exceptional
You visualize yourself as a black professional
Plus your girlfriend is in the same class as you
But it's drama when you walk her home after school
These knuckleheads on the block they be harassin' you
You say, "Chill"
That you just passin' through
You used to be cool with 'em but now they actin' new
You crack jokes but they gettin' more mad at you
Now they puttin' up their dukes so they can scrap with you
And when it's over
You leave 'em ALL black and blue
Now they talkin' about blastin' you
Now they got guns chasin' after you
You didn't think that they would pull it
But now you find yourself runnin' from the sound of stray bullets
You get closer to the crib and start smilin'
Felt somethin' in your back it was a bullet in a spinal column
Now you startin' to bleed
You blackin' out, it's gettin' harder to see
Chorus