[Intro]
It's my hood, I been livin here for 17 years
Boy I done got jumped, my car done got shot up

I done got shot at, I been to jail, 3, fo' times

I want parents to simply wake up

To take responsibility for our own kids
It's time to take action!
It's time to wake up and stop sleepin!


[Paris]
Peace, what's happenin rookie?

It's been a while since I been gone, just tryin to fall in
Ain't nothin new, sheeit, I keep it mannish
It's different now than when I was out, let's examine

What's happenin junior? What's goin down?
How the women actin, heard you was crushin 'em in the town
Look good don't they? Hell yeah, shoulda saw

the ones last week at the mall, hella raw
And all tryin to come up, like video queens
So fine they make some of us do the stupidest things

But be careful though, get caught up, know what you doin
$#&@ around and be a teenage pop, and life is ruined
How ya momma doin? She cool, is that right?

Seen your sister last week at the bank, lookin tight
Keep yo' eyes on her, cause ^!$$%z, nowadays
always lookin for some new ones to train, so many ways

And I'm amazed, but not amused as such
We all brothers but some of us gettin caught in the clutch
Another, day go by another, day's the same

Another, day of strife I say a, prayer for change
But I cain't complain, and if I did so what?
The best we can do is try to find the truth and come up

I'm still bangin on these tracks, still keep hope for us
Yeah I'm back, still rough on wax, and still bust


[Chorus: singer]
E'rybody gotta do their own thang
See the whole world goin insane

Hope to see sun, it'll be rain
We lay low, lay low, lay low
E'rybody tryin to maintain

Brothers gonna work out in the aeeend
'Til we get peace it'll be pain
And they know, they know, they know


[Paris]
What's on your mind? What, your homey died?

Over what, some bull%#@!? Is that right?
I known him since back in the days, we was tight
Used to date his older sister back in late '85

I just wonder why, the %#@! don't make no sense
How many gotta die befo' these ^!$$%z convinced?
Death is final every day for my people I'm prayin

Seems so many lose our futures $#&@in 'round in the game
A mother$#&@in shame, another life is ruined
Know you wanna ride but gunnin for them ^!$$%z is useless

See we all confused, damn, but everything is a test
Don't let ego and emotions be the reason you slip
Cause though your boys might fall, fall for doin wrong

Friends drop like drawers, nobody mobbin like the law
And we don't need no more in the pen or at war
It's open season every brother on the street is a target, believe


[Chorus]


[Paris]
Now even though I'm anti-pop, I still rise
And though it seem it ain't gon' stop, I still rise

above this bull%#@! hip-hop, I still rise
Supply, wise words, disguised in rhyme verse
I curse, what these ^!$$%z is sayin, ain't nuttin real

Just fairy tales of pimpin these sisters and makin mail
I see 'em pose, see the (*##$y roles they play
See these videos they %#@!ty, see the way we portrayed

See these sellin out acts just sellin our rap
Believe wannabe macks with powerhouse tracks
Redefined black manhood, defied Allah
We rise up, $#&@ this bull%#@!, survival or die
See them thuggin ^!$$%z muggin with that criminal pout

See 'em frown in every photo, see that %#@! in they mouth
See 'em tattered lookin battered chasin #~!!@ and weed
Makin hookers out of queens every video feed
I see these labels sit back, push this %#@! like crack
Now every record every act, got you thinkin it's black

to act a fool chasin #~!!@ like it's hard to get
I see these crackers think it's cool, bein ^!$$%z for chips
I split jiggaboo chins, !@#^yze these trends
If it's down to me and them I'm sendin flowers to kin
Ain't nuttin easy in this world, struggle makes the man

Don't let these mother$#&@ers do you understand the plan, believe

[Chorus x2]