It's a hot summer day in the year of 84'
Fresh out of summer school headed for the store
Watchin the O.G.'s standing out gettin rich

Slangin the fat brown bags of the good %#@!
Dope is out but I really ain't seen it though
Dope fiends smokin the %#@! by the corner store

Broke as $#&@ kinda bummy with nappy hair
But what can I say when a playa's on welfare
Life is hard and I'm only 13

Always on a prowl, always on a scheme
There wasn't nothin to do but have fun
Wait for the dark then creep to Emporium

Get the T.I., get the Guess shirts
Get the fresh couch break for the turf
Doin it boley never in fear

Gettin they punk $$# for about a year
Until I got called, went to the hall
Writin on the wall, waitin for a hair call

Released to moms, what can I say
Off to Sears, the very next day
Now Sears is easier cuz it's in the area

Walk to the back of the rack then carried the
%#@! back to the stolen car
Drive and park by the house is not too far

My gear was fat but still no money though
Talked to my homey then got fronted so
Stackin my %#@!, hustlin cash

Gotta get out, gave him his half
Hooked up with a friend oh we started boomin
Then we go to some O's then I went solo

Stackin my pay gettin it on
Got myself a beeper and a cellular phone
A donkey roll, a twenty-two

Jumped on my bike, headed for school
Locked up my %#@!, cuz the fools be gankin
A young ^!$$% pimpin that Benjamin Franklin

So I walked the halls, wishin the Merrier
Hooked up with a freak by the cafeteria
Hair was long, pretty with butt

I told the freak I was about to cut
So call me at eight and don't be late
When I left the school there was a big mistake

So I jumped on my bike and headed for the set
With a pocketful of rocks ah man I regret
For not stayin in school, for just doin my work

Gettin chased by the Task now I feel like a jerk
So I'm on the run and I better run fast
Cuz if I don't they're gonna beat my $$#

Hit a quick cut, run by the Ave.
Go to the Valley you know I gotta laugh
Jogged to the third floor runnin the dope spot

A playa too quick a young brotha can't get caught
(*##$ want credit better go to the bank
Then my homey walked in with the straight-laced dank

Two young playas gettin high on the couch
In a spot, at a dope fiend's house
Two hours passed now it must be cool

Cuz I gotta make money $#&@ going back to school
Wrapped up for the crime now I gotta do time
But when I'm out I'll be back on the grind

All my homies kept flippin and the man kept trippin
But me JT, I'm a victim of the system
%#@! got thick but what can I say

In the life of a player but that is the hard way

(second verse)

Now it's 92', as you can see
So I gotta get paid from the R-A-P
I was in the dope game now I'm in the rap game

But I gotta get paid so $#&@ the fame
I'm a tell ta, it goes somethin like this
By any means necessary I'm gettin my grits

Here's a little somethin by the man
He's always schemin up a plan
Always tryin to say which way is right

Always tryin to force us to the way of life
Of robbin, killin, straight dope dealin
Young ^!$$%s runnin around tryin to be villians
So they offer us minimum wage
Knowin damn well we're gonna get the 12 gauge

To go outside and pull a jack or a caper
Hopin that we make front page of the paper
Extra extra, black brotha dead
Shot in the head by a cop named Fred
When you read the paper, you know it's a damn lie

Talk about justifiable homicide
Then they say we no good at all
And if we are, for just raps and basketball
^!$$%s ain't %#@!, ^!$$%s all lazy
All they do is $#&@ go to jail and have babies

%#@!, I'm not that ^!$$%
I'm JT the one and only Bigga Figga
That's one of the reasons why I'm doin my own thang
Now I know you've heard the song, so mind your own mane
And you'll be fine and you be cool

And all you young brothas, you better stay in school
Quit runnin around tryin to be the neighborhood jacker
Better go to recess and eat some cheese and crackers
Before you find yourself layin up on a tombstone
Gonna be there forever, cuz that is your home
No more TV and no more Nintendo

No more bikes and no more friends bro
You better wake up before it's too late
Before you find yourself standin out in heaven's gate
Cuz you tryin to get in but no my friend
Cuz ya die, or committed a sin
Tryin to peel a cap but ya got your cap peeled
Now your mother's outside wonderin why you got killed

Use better judgment in the game you play
In the life of a black man but that is the hard way