2Pac
2Pac/Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Lyrics

Growing up as an inner city brotha
I experienced the challenges and hardships of growing up in a disadvantaged neighborhood.

Where every other had a pops and a motha
In contrast to others who had both a father and a mother, I came from a situation where my family structure was incomplete.

I was the product of a heated lover
I was born from a passionate but tumultuous relationship.

Nobody knew how deep it screwed me
Nobody truly understood the profound impact it had on me.

And since my pops never knew me
Because my father was absent from my life, there was a lack of understanding and connection between us.

My family didn't know what to do with me
Due to the circumstances, my family struggled to handle and guide me.

Was i somebody they despised?
They questioned if I was someone they disliked or rejected.

Curious look in they eyes
There was a sense of curiosity and uncertainty in their gaze.

As if they wonder if i'm dead or alive
They wondered about my well-being, unsure if I was thriving or struggling.

And poor momma can't control me
My mother struggled to exert control over my actions and choices.

"Quit trying' to save my soul
My plea to my mother was to stop attempting to rescue me from my own path.

I wanna roll with my homies!"
I desired to be part of my group of friends and engage in their lifestyle.

A tickin timebomb, can't nobody fade me
I felt like a volatile force, unstoppable and unaffected by others.

Packin' a 380 and fiendin' for Mercedes
Carrying a firearm and longing for material possessions like a luxurious car.

Suckers scatter but it don't matter
Those who opposed me tried to flee, but their actions had no significance.

I'm a cool shot punks drop from all the
My aim is precise, and I can easily defeat my enemies with a single shot.

Buckshots the fools got
The fools faced the consequences of their actions through the dispersal of shotgun pellets.

I'm tired of being a nice guy
I'm exhausted from being kind and accommodating.

I've been poor all my life
I have experienced poverty for my entire existence.

But don't know quite why
Despite my circumstances, I struggle to comprehend the reasons behind my situation.

So they label me a lunatic
Others categorize me as a mentally unstable person.

Could care leas death or success
I have little concern for either my own mortality or achieving conventional success.

Is what i quest cause i'm fearless
My pursuit of a meaningful life is driven by my fearlessness and lack of fear.

The streets are deathrow
The environment of the streets is akin to a place where one's life is constantly at risk.

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

I'm even more stressed wearin' a vest
I experience heightened anxiety while wearing a bulletproof vest for protection.

Hopin' that they're aimin' at my chest
I hope that if my enemies target me, they will aim for my protected torso.

Much too young to bite the bullet
I am too young to face the severe consequences or die in a violent manner.

Hand on the trigga
Keeping my hand on the trigger, prepared to defend myself.

I see my life before my eyes
In moments of danger, I have vivid flashbacks of my life flashing before me.

Each time i pull it
Every time I squeeze the trigger of my firearm.

I hope I live to be a man
I express my desire to survive and grow into adulthood.

Must be part of some big plan to
I believe my existence must serve a larger, predetermined purpose.

Keep a brotha in the state pen
The system seems designed to incarcerate individuals like me in prison.

Counting pennys over the years
I have spent countless years struggling financially, counting every penny.

I'd done stacked many proving wrong those
I have accumulated a significant amount of money, proving wrong those who doubted me.

Who swore i'd wouldn't live till twenty
Those who predicted my premature death have been proven wrong as I have exceeded the expected age of twenty.

Now they gotta cope
Now they must find a way to deal with the reality of my continued existence.

Since it's the only thing I know
As my circumstances have shaped me, this lifestyle is all I am familiar with.

It's difficult to let it go
Releasing myself from this environment is a challenging task.

I'm startin' to loose my hair cause i worry
The constant stress and anxiety are causing me to experience hair loss.

Hustlin' to keep from gettin' buried
I engage in constant hustling and illegal activities to avoid a fate of early death.

But now i gotta move away now
I must make the decision to relocate and leave this dangerous environment behind.

Cause these suckers love ta' spray
Because my adversaries enjoy shooting at me indiscriminately.

Where I lay down
Even where I rest or take refuge, I'm not safe from harm.

My homie lost his family, he snapped
My close friend experienced the tragic loss of his family, resulting in a mental breakdown.

Shot up half the block to bring them back
In his shattered state, my friend resorted to violence, hoping to somehow resurrect his family members.

I'm dangerous when drunk, I only drink beer
When I consume alcohol, particularly beer, I become a volatile and unpredictable individual.

Gin makes me sin unable to think clear
Drinking gin impairs my judgment, leading me to make regretful choices and clouding my thinking.

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

Enemy is getting close bOOM BOOM BOOM!
Perceiving an imminent threat from my adversaries, I respond with gunfire, not considering if it is real or imagined.

Got me shooting at a ghost
I find myself firing my weapon at a nonexistent or intangible target.

Some call me crazy but this
While some may consider me insane, this

Is what you gave me
It is the environment and circumstances that shaped me into who I am.

Amongst the babies who raised
Growing up alongside other individuals who were also shaped by their difficult upbringings

Up from the slavery
We have emerged from a state of oppression, akin to the experience of slavery.

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

Sess to kill the stress
Smoking marijuana to alleviate my anxiety and tension.

Moved out west and I invest in all the best
I relocated to the western region and allocate my resources towards acquiring the finest things.

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

Bullet in they chest
A fatal bullet penetrating their torso.

Put to rest by a brotha who was hopeless
They meet their demise at the hands of a hopeless individual like myself.

Grow up broke on the rope of insanity
Having grown up in poverty, constantly on the brink of losing my sanity.

How many pistols smoking coming
I witness numerous firearms being discharged, leading

From a broken family i'm sick of being tired
As a result of my fractured family background, I am exhausted and fed up with my current state.

Sick of the sirens, body bags
I am weary of the constant presence of sirens and the sight of body bags, symbolizing violence and death.

And the gun firing
The sound of gunshots constantly ringing in my ears.

Tell bush, "Push the button!" cause i'm fed
I defiantly challenge President Bush to initiate a war or engage in a destructive act because I am disillusioned and frustrated.

Tired of hearin' these voices in my head
I am fatigued and overwhelmed by the persistent voices and thoughts in my mind.

The streets are deathrow
The streets resemble a place where death is inevitable and constant danger looms.