Got To Survive
2pac ft. Celly Cell Lyrics

Cuddies perved by the corner, stout, herb
There are friends hanging out on the corner smoking weed

Got me twisted, mo' cold killin murders
The drug use is causing confusion and there is a lot of violence happening

Them brothers gettin further
The situation is getting worse for black males

Got my pencil for utensil, this'll keep they mind knownin
Writing is a way to keep the mind active and engaged

Spot some thugs at the club, and they got the nines showin
There are dangerous people in the club with guns on display

Dirty pimpin g's, one of my dreams, player now listen
One of the dreams is to be a successful pimp, but the listener should pay attention

Lotta blacks locked down, but comin back around in '96
Many black people are in prison, but there is potential for a comeback in 1996

All the gals my six (what else?) my track crew and my mother
Women are an important part of the artist's life, including his track team and mother

Make these police wonder: how is he so undercover?
The artist is good at hiding his criminal activity from the police

Never been a lover, but America had broke my heart
The artist has never been in love, but feels disillusioned with America

I was told to tear up out this before this tear me apart
Someone advised the singer to leave before the situation becomes dangerous

Eat through scrap, black tracks, free milk and cheese
Surviving on meager resources such as free government food

While the Japs stack scratch with the Vietnamese
Other groups of people are able to accumulate wealth while black people struggle

But I'm finna squeeze, stack cheese they left on a trap
The singer is going to collect money illegally

A young playa mack, hit the bud', spit a rap
The singer is a young player who smokes weed and raps

It's just that feelin, that feelin that I have for children
The artist has a strong love and concern for children

Are able to love us, but these crazy devils try to kill us
Children are capable of love, but racist people are attempting to harm black people

"I gotta survive, I try to stay alive, ho"
The singer must survive and stay alive

"Smokin that dank to deal with the pain"
Smoking weed to deal with emotional pain

June 2nd '93 I returned to the streets
The artist was released from jail on June 2nd, 1993

Did 2 months in the county and I opt to the beat
The artist spent 2 months in jail and is now focused on music

Now the cops keep watch, cause they know that I rap
Police are keeping an eye on the artist because he is a rapper

Tell the world that I'm a gangsta, cause I ride with a strap
People think the singer is a gangster because he carries a gun

But I ain't yo gangsta, just a young nigga caught up in the struggle
The artist is not a gangster, but is struggling with life as a young black man

Born hustler, goin for the jugular
The singer is ambitious and aggressive

Out to take the beast down, piece down might be too late
The goal is to fight against oppression, but it may be too late

The funk is on, high, drunk off Thunderbird and Grape cool-Aid
The singer is high and drunk on cheap alcohol

Would love to catch a playa slippin, take me down and book me
The police want to catch the artist doing something illegal and arrest him

Guilty as charged, hit the switch and try to cook me
If arrested, the artist will be punished severely

Silence a nigga for the shit I'm spittin, I know I'm scarin ya
The singer's words are making people uncomfortable or scared

A poison you created in the veins of America
Black people are not the true problem, but rather the racism and inequality in America

Miseducated, incarcerated, institutionalized
Black people are not given proper education, are often imprisoned, and forced into institutionalization

That 3rd strike will have a gang of them rollers dyin
The 'three strikes' rule will lead to many people being killed by the police

Ain't no love where I'm goin, no love where I'm comin from
The artist is not feeling loved or safe in any location

Remember me, that real-ass nigga you been runnin from
The singer is a real person who is not afraid of confrontation

Got us sprung off the cocaine and the welfare
People are becoming addicted to drugs and dependent on government assistance

While the black babies die without health care
Black babies are dying because they are not receiving adequate healthcare

Now how could I pledge allegiance to a racist-ass flag
The singer cannot support a flag that represents racism

When the rollers at my do' with a .44 mag?
The police are at the door with a dangerous weapon

Got my mother spittin drag 'bout I ain't home
The artist's absence is causing stress and worry for his mother

Got a double homicide warrant on my dome
The artist is suspected of committing two murders

I hear em pushin in the do', I grab my Mac with two clips
The singer is preparing to defend himself against the police with a gun

Cut through the back window and like a g hit a fence
The singer escapes through a window and runs away

It's better than incarceration any day, we gonn' die anyway
Dying while fighting back is better than being imprisoned and dying anyway

So if I go out blastin, call it my fate
If the artist dies fighting back, it is meant to happen

I got niggas in the pen like my cousin Bud
The artist has relatives in prison

Lunatic Insane, and my partner T-Love
The singer has friends in prison with interesting nicknames

Big Tom, Ray Ray, Killa Cuddy, Mac Dre
The artist has other acquaintances with memorable names

Cleek, Jamal, Jinx and Bluebonic, man
The singer has even more acquaintances with unique names

Now I been called a crook, a killer, a thug
The singer has been called negative names

A no-good dealer of drugs
The singer is accused of being a drug dealer

And Blood or 'cause, doesn't matter what set you was
Gang affiliation doesn't matter to the artist

Cause where I'm at, if you black, we strapped
In the artist's location, black people need to carry weapons for protection

As long as ki's make g's these thieves attack
As long as drugs make money, there will be criminals trying to obtain them

And ain't no rules on the streets these days
Currently, there are no guidelines or regulations on the streets

Muthafuckas better watch they back and take it eazay
People should be cautious and take it easy

I'm livin in the dangerzone
The artist's location is dangerous

And learnin lesson from the game, it's on
The artist is learning from the streets

Niggas was gone when the frame was on
People disappeared when the situation became dangerous

I'm gettin breaken them balls daily
The artist experiences stress on a daily basis

Is there a ghetto in heaven or do I go to hell?
The singer wonders where he will end up after death

See, seems I was senteced to death, takin my steps with my head down
The singer feels like he is on a path to death and is walking with his head lowered in defeat

Why pour I liquor for my niggas, cause they dead now
The singer drinks to remember his deceased friends

My memory since I was a little seed
The artist has been aware of his situation since childhood

Was a penitentiary full of niggas like me
The artist was aware of the high likelihood of being imprisoned

These cops can't terrorize us, they despise us
The police cannot instill fear in black people, but they still hate them

Niggas, cause we on the rise
Black people are starting to progress and gain power

Plus everybody's searchin for a piece of the truth
Everyone wants honesty and transparency

And the youth turn the streets into a piece of Beirut
The youth are turning the streets into a warzone like Beirut

And the truth is
The reality is