gangsta paradise

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left

'Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long that

Even my momma thinks that my mind is gone

But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it

Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of

You better watch how you talkin' and where you walkin'

Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk

I really hate to trip, but I gotta loc

As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke

Fool, I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be like

On my knees in the night, sayin' prayers in the streetlight

Been spendin' most their lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Been spendin' most their lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Keep spendin' most our lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Keep spendin' most our lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Look at the situation they got me facing

I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the street

So I gotta be down with the hood team

Too much television watchin', got me chasing dreams

I'm a educated fool with money on my mind

Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye

I'm a loc'd out gangsta, set trippin' banger

And my homies is down, so don't arouse my anger

Fool, death ain't nothin' but a heart beat away

I'm livin' life do or die, what can I say?

I'm 23 now but will I live to see 24?

The way things is going I don't know

Tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me?

Been spendin' most their lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Been spendin' most their lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Keep spendin' most our lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Keep spendin' most our lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Power and the money, money and the power

Minute after minute, hour after hour

Everybody's runnin', but half of them ain't lookin'

It's going on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin'

They say I gotta learn, but nobody's 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 out of luck, fool

Been spendin' most their lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Been spendin' most their lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Keep spendin' most our lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Keep spendin' most our lives

Livin' in a gangsta's 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?