2Pac
2Pac/Elton John Lyrics

Growing up as an inner city brotha
I experienced my childhood in an urban area where life was tough

Where every other had a pops and a motha
In contrast to others, I didn't have both a father and mother in my life

I was the product of a heated lover
I was born out of a passionate and tumultuous relationship

Nobody knew how deep it screwed me
No one understood the profound impact it had on my life

And since my pops never knew me
Because my father never really knew who I was

My family didn't know what to do with me
My relatives were unsure of how to handle or relate to me

Was i somebody they despised?
Did they actually hate me as a person?

Curious look in they eyes
I observed a questioning gaze in their eyes

As if they wonder if i'm dead or alive
As though they have doubts about whether I'm still alive or not

And poor momma can't control me
My mother struggles to exert control over me

"Quit trying' to save my soul
"Stop attempting to rescue my inner self

I wanna roll with my homies!"
I desire to hang out with my close friends

A tickin timebomb, can't nobody fade me
I feel like a ticking timebomb, untouchable by anyone

Packin' a 380 and fiendin' for Mercedes
Carrying a .380 handgun and yearning for materialistic success

Suckers scatter but it don't matter
Enemies disperse, but their actions hold no significance

I'm a cool shot punks drop from all the
I'm a skilled marksman causing troublemakers to fall by my hand

Buckshots the fools got
These foolish individuals face the consequences of their actions

I'm tired of being a nice guy
I'm exhausted from playing the role of a kind-hearted person

I've been poor all my life
I've experienced poverty throughout my entire existence

But don't know quite why
Yet, I still don't fully comprehend the reasons behind it

So they label me a lunatic
Hence, I've gained the reputation of being insane

Could care leas death or success
I have little concern for either death or achieving success

Is what i quest cause i'm fearless
Fearlessness drives my pursuit of these goals

The streets are deathrow
The environment I navigate is akin to a prison sentence leading to death

I just murdered a man
I have recently taken someone's life

I'm even more stressed wearin' a vest
I'm constantly anxious, wearing a bulletproof vest for protection

Hopin' that they're aimin' at my chest
Praying they don't target my vital organs

Much too young to bite the bullet
I'm far too youthful to meet my demise

Hand on the trigga
I have my finger poised on the trigger

I see my life before my eyes
I witness my entire existence flash before me

Each time i pull it
On every occasion that I squeeze the trigger

I hope I live to be a man
I hold onto the hope of maturing into adulthood

Must be part of some big plan to
Perhaps it's part of a larger, predetermined plan to

Keep a brotha in the state pen
Keep individuals like me confined within the state prison

Counting pennys over the years
Counting meager amounts of money throughout the years

I'd done stacked many proving wrong those
I've amassed a significant sum, proving doubters wrong

Who swore i'd wouldn't live till twenty
Individuals who confidently predicted I wouldn't survive past the age of twenty

Now they gotta cope
Now they must come to terms with this reality

Since it's the only thing I know
Because it's all I've ever been familiar with

It's difficult to let it go
Releasing this lifestyle is challenging

I'm startin' to loose my hair cause i worry
I'm experiencing hair loss due to constant worry

Hustlin' to keep from gettin' buried
Engaging in illicit activities to avoid getting buried or killed

But now i gotta move away now
However, it's now necessary for me to relocate

Cause these suckers love ta' spray
Because these enemies are eager to attack

Where I lay down
In the locations where I rest or stay

My homie lost his family, he snapped
My friend experienced the tragic loss of his loved ones, causing him to become unhinged

Shot up half the block to bring them back
He fired multiple shots, destroying a significant portion of the neighborhood in a futile attempt to revive them

The streets are deathrow
Once again reaffirming that the streets resemble a place of imminent death

I'm dangerous when drunk, I only drink beer
I become a hazard to others when intoxicated, although I prefer consuming beer

Gin makes me sin unable to think clear
The consumption of gin leads me to engage in sinful behavior and inhibits my ability to think clearly

Henessey makes me think my
Under the influence of Hennessy, I start to believe that my

Enemy is getting close bOOM BOOM BOOM!
Adversaries are approaching rapidly, resulting in a heightened sense of threat and the sound of gunfire

Got me shooting at a ghost
I find myself firing shots at an unseen, imaginary target

Some call me crazy but this
Certain individuals label me as insane, yet this

Is what you gave me
Is the outcome of the circumstances you've thrust upon me

Amongst the babies who raised
Amongst the generation of youth who were brought up in

Up from the slavery
Conditions resembling the experiences of slavery

I sport a vest and hit the
I wear a bulletproof vest and engage

Sess to kill the stress
In smoking marijuana to alleviate my stress

Moved out west and I invest in all the best
I relocated to the western region of the country and invested in the finest things

Those who test will find a
Those who challenge me will encounter a

Bullet in they chest
Projectile penetrating their chest

Put to rest by a brotha who was hopeless
Permanently silenced by an individual who was once devoid of hope

Grow up broke on the rope of insanity
Raised in poverty while teetering on the edge of madness

How many pistols smoking coming
The number of firearms discharging while

From a broken family
Originating from a fractured and dysfunctional family

I'm sick of being tired
I am weary of feeling exhausted

Sick of the sirens, body bags
Weary of the frequent sirens and the presence of body bags

And the gun firing
Including the constant sound of gunshots

Tell bush, "Push the button!" cause i'm fed
I implore President Bush to initiate a conflict as I am extremely frustrated

Tired of hearin' these voices in my head
Exhausted from hearing these internal voices and thoughts

The streets are deathrow
Reiterating that the streets are synonymous with a path leading to death