[e-40:]
I grit my teeth to keep release, kkep my fatih and hope (hope)
Need to stop stressing before i have a stroke
Up in lower development housin' (housin'), talk and turmoil (turmoil)
Food in our refrigerator never had a chance to spoil
You know why? (why?) wasn't rich wasn't poor (wasn't poor)
You know why? (do you know why?) cause it's the boss player from next door
(from next door)
Sleepin' on the floor, hectic, (hectic), but that's expected

[b-legit:]
When i was young, i never could afford no nikes, and everybody else had
Brand new bikes
I use to hike to school, in the rain with fools, 13 deep in the ghetto
Streets (in the ghetto streets)

[hook:]
[levitti:] i've struggled and i've strived

[suga t:] struggled and i've strived

[levitti:] been a hustler all my life

[suga t:] been a hustler all my life

[both:] i ain't rich and i ain't poor, did more dirt than you would know

[levitti:] i've struggled and i've strived, strived

[d-shot:]
In 1984 was the year for the shot to step through the door (through the
Door)
That's when my daddy walked away from my mama (mama)
She tried to work it out but it wasn't no stoppin' (stoppin')
Barely paying the rent, she had four mouths to feed, hot water and corn
Bread (corn bread)
Watching the stress while my momma straight handlin' things (handlin'
Things) ?

[suga-t:]
Coming up wasn't easy for the no should i be (c'mon)
Living dad to day depended on the first of fifteen
I had 2 kids to raise from a teenage love
You couldn't tell me a thing because i knew what was up

[hook]

[b-legit:]
I brought it down the block, crooked at 16 (16)
Bought my first 22 from a dope fiend (dope fiend)
I kept my nose clean, paper by all means
And only real niggas rolled on the team

[e-40:]
Ah, ah, a most of you ain't never had to pawn (had to)
A lot of you ai't had to stoned out (stoned out)
But there's something different on my behalf (behalf)
Do what i do to get the cash (get the cash)

[d-shot:]
My daddy didn't give a shit, i had to struggle and strive to make a
Motherfuckin' grip
And every dollar and 15 cents, i gave to my mamma cause we wasn't that rich

[suga-t:]
Me the knot, give up the twat, hoes wasn't taking that shit on my block
We had a lot of foes, when we first started out (spit it girl)
Now there's players everywhere from the north to the south (beeotch)

[hook]