Cradle To The Grave

From the cradle to the grave

Life ain't never been easy

Livin' in the ghetto

From the cradle to the grave

Life ain't never been easy

[2Pac:]

June 16th, 1971

Mama gave birth to a hell-raisin' heavenly son

See, the doctor tried to smack me, but I smacked him back

My first words was, "Thug for life!" and "Papa, pass the MAC!"

I'm bustin' on these mother fuckers ballin'

Listen, you can hear my mini fourteen callin'

From out the window of my drop top

I got my Glock cocked, bustin' at niggas; when will it stop?

Now, tell me, are you scared of the dark?

Can't close my eyes, I see visions

And even with this thug livin', will I escape prison?

Penitentiary chances was an all day thang

The only way to advance; and if you slang

Then you'd better have your Nikes on, 'cause when we fight, it's in the middle of the night with no lights on

Hey! There must be a God, 'cause I feel lucky

Paranoid, out my mind, 'cause motherfuckers tryin' to rush me

Am I goin' to jail? Look at me bailin'

Comin' out the court house, all about my mail and bank

Never die, I'll be a hustler, motherfuckers

Makin' thugs out you suckers, from the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave

Life ain't never been easy

Livin' in the ghetto

[Mopreme:]

From the cradle to the grave, since a little bitty child

I've been known to get ill and kinda buck wild

Pop pop! Just like the part that's in my walk with street talk

I'm runnin' up the block in the dark where lead spark

Surveillance on a nigga every day

Waitin on my daddy just to take his ass away

Now Mama always workin', tryin' to make ends meet

So now a young nigga's being raised by the streets

And then the only other one that ever showed me love

Was my dope fiend uncle, strung out on drugs

A straight thug, just me, my mama out here on our own

So I got two gats, one black and one of chrome

Now, I don't wanna hurt nobody, but I must defend mine

It's all the fuck I got, so stop and walk a thin line

Young niggas be brave

And keep on thuggin' from the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave

Life ain't never been easy

Livin' in the ghetto

[Rated R:]

From the cradle to the grave, I'm glad to say I made it this far

Many G's died, hogs

And all they got was they name hit up on a wall

It's sad thinkin' about the times, life goes on

I'm steady lost in this land, that's the war zone

I gots no home, don't have no friends neither

It's just me by my lonely, so I married my Nina

I keeps her wherever I go, I love my ho

Never leave home without my sugar, I'ma have to plug a nigga

Mama told me not to trust no punks

And kick his ass if he lay a hand on me

Since then I been knowin'

Sometimes I think my own self stupid

'Cause I stay shootin' at marks

Get twisted up in police reports

Since the cradle, I've been ungrateful

My first toy was a gun

I got sprung and learned to love weapons

But now I'm through with money

And through with street fame

Somebody peeled my cap, and put me in my grave

From the cradle to the grave

Life ain't never been easy

Livin' in the ghetto

[Macadoshis:]

March 18th, a rainy day my mama gave birth

To a baby boy trapped in Hell on Earth

From day one it wasn't fun, I never had a crumb

Daddy worked two jobs and Mama won't stop drinkin' rum

I tried to cope, loc, but my family's broke

And my pocket's short, so now I got ta slang dope

In the game filled with pain, it's a fuckin' shame

The white man got a motherfucker slangin' 'caine

So now it's on from dusk to dawn, I'm gettin' my serve on

Always in the spot with my Glock, slingin' rocks at the Rox

The shit don't stop, I'm steady dodgin' cops

I never flip-flop, hear my Glock cock, thug 'til I drop

And if I hit the pen, I gotta do my time

Sittin' on my bunk, reminiscin' 'bout the good times

It's fucked up a nigga gotta grow up doin' dirt

But from the cradle to the grave I'ma put in work

From the cradle to the grave

Life ain't never been easy

Livin' in the ghetto

[Big Syke:]

Time's movin' fast; will I last another day?

So I pray and I lay with my AK

Did I sell my soul as a young kid? All the things I did

Wishin' someone held me, but they never did

I can't take it; will I make it to my older age

Before I'm shot up or locked up in a fuckin' cage?

Lord, help me, guide me, save me!

'Cause that's the way that Daddy raised me: crazy

Do or die, nigga, pull the trigger, don't give a fuck

You'd rather be in jail than get yo' ass bucked

Nobody cares, it's me against the world

Keepin' murder on my mind and my TEC-9

I got nothin' to lose, payin' dues, nigga, you wanna die?

I get high and then my mission is a walk-by

You'd better jet when I hit your set, 'cause I'm comin'

Start runnin', yellin' "evil mind" as I'm gunnin'

One in the chamber, for the anger that I build inside

For the mothers that cried, for my homies that died

The beginnin' is an endin', am I just a slave?

So I got to be brave, from the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave

Life ain't never been easy

Livin' in the ghetto