[00:20.724]Familiar scene, street corner, tape and sheets[00:23.285]18 put to sleep, talk on the street[00:25.632]Til next week when a different face is another life wasted[00:28.910]Self-hatred is dangerous, the world see him as a thug[00:32.216]But don't understand[00:33.355]That a poor black man, ain't born with a strap in his hand[00:35.951]Was soft like all children at 5 years old[00:38.375]But the cycle and society, turned him cold[00:41.140]Pops fled the scene, left mom's on her own[00:43.539]To feed 3 seeds alone, so she never home[00:46.473]Sweatin' for change, but there's big dough in the game[00:49.333]And he wanna be next to push a range[00:51.794]So we change innocent, to militant ways, Rollin' with the bigger boys, doin whatever they say[00:56.187]But wait these streets ain't got no glory[00:59.002]Man rolled up on him, you know the rest of the story[01:02.797]Why do we live this way oh lord?[01:08.471]Why do we have to live this way?[01:12.713]Why do we live this way oh lord?[01:18.498]Why do we have to live this way?[01:22.262]Look at what we see and go through[01:23.743]Of course we're thugs, cause of our will to survive[01:25.250]Not cause of drugs[01:26.377]Living in foulest conditions, still breed proudest traditions[01:29.995]We speak, everybody listen[01:32.401]But we still jealous, when one of us shining[01:35.182]Like I'm grindin, why's my man shining?[01:37.706]I ain't criticizing, been known to be whiling[01:39.832]Just tryna give you food for thought when I'm rhyming[01:42.291]Cause I'm tired of youts' them dyin' cause there's no guidance[01:45.429]But I won't have my fam cryin[01:47.779]An eye for an eye? That's your science?[01:49.926]Cool we're the same then, let's get blinded[01:52.586]I'm not in the hype ting-handle ma business[01:55.028]If I feel somethings a threat, then that threats missin[01:58.231]Just know that my heart was good and that I tried[02:00.363]I just had too much pride[02:03.166]Why do we live this way oh lord?[02:08.902]Why do we have to live this way?[02:13.655]Why do we live this way oh lord?[02:19.645]Why do we have to live this way?[02:23.782]No matter how we act, we all got emotion[02:25.906]Just learn to hide it, it hurts to open[02:28.192]The street is a movie, stay in your role[02:30.719]If you let it go, vultures swallow you whole[02:33.180]But it don't fool me bro, I see things clear[02:36.031]Big killers get big years and shed big tears[02:38.424]If not at trial, gradually as the years pass[02:41.050]The guilt set in like a vice on the heart[02:43.922]Reminiscing bout the nigga at your side[02:46.341]Now he's missin' and no wishin could give him back life[02:48.825]That's just life, shit ain't fair[02:51.527]Man scream "street dreams', all I see is the nightmare's[02:54.187]Locked up, years pass seed dun grown[02:56.510]Get murked or hit the pipe, Either way you a ghost[02:58.965]And that's reality even though it's crazy[03:01.807]Got to change, or it's the same fate for our babies...[03:04.625]Why do we live this way oh lord?[03:10.670]Why do we have to live this way?[03:14.765]Why do we live this way oh lord?[03:20.426]Why do we have to live this way?[03:25.132]I've been talking to myself now lately[03:27.399]All the things going on so crazy[03:29.917]I wondering why would somebody explain it to me[03:35.406]I've been talking to myself now lately[03:37.586]All the things going on so crazy[03:40.188]Would somebody explain this to me[03:42.660]Would you tell me tell me why[03:46.030]This one's for all my people struggling[03:49.522]Looking for something better[03:52.045]Just hold on[03:53.197]It's coming ,Trust me