Ghetto
Akon & Notorious B.I.G. Lyrics


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Ghetto, ghetto,
Oh, I've been, I've been praying for you
Hallelujah.

(Lord save this church) It is easy as 1, 2, 3,
I wanna be what's on TV,
And if that's wrong, please don't blame me,
'Cause where I live we have nothing
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.

Little kids growing up without no education,
Mom's on drugs, 'cause that's her only medication.
Nobody's home, but they ain't on a vacation,
But they left the kids alone watching the TV station.
What's wrong with the picture, please, someone give me the answers
They be wondering why the girls grow up to be dancers
Then we wonder why the boys grow up to be dealers
And they be angry at the whole world ready to kill us.
Aye, after we start to resolve the whole problems
How we let our little children just turn into goblins
Why we got them all killing and stealing and robbing
We need to plan a little seed to prevent the mobbing
Why don't we teach them that science to reach for the stars?
'Cause they can be defiant with a future worse than ours
Don't want them looking in the past and covering scars
They need a path out the ghetto, ghetto, hello.

It is easy as 1, 2, 3,
I wanna be what's on TV,
And if that's wrong, please don't blame me,
'Cause where I live we have nothing
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.

Little boy had a dream of being a ball player
'His little homie wanna grow to be a rhyme slayer,
Little missy wanna grow to be a model
While the momma at home just drinking on the bottle.
Aye, how come little one to grow and be a councilman?
Senator or governor, a mayor politician
Probably 'cause the politicians keep tricking 'em
Promise that they fixing it but they ain't really fixing it.
Aye, that's why they want to be like me
Like Jigga like B and Nicky and Ri
Every day in the ghettos is an emergency
But the powers that be don't emerge and seek
That's why you see killing, that's why you see crimes,
That's why you see the homies in the prison doing time
That's why you see crack, that's why you see blacks trap
With no access out the ghetto, ghetto.

It is easy as 1, 2, 3,
I wanna be what's on TV,
And if that's wrong, please don't blame me,
'Cause where I live we have nothing
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.

It is easy as 1, 2, 3,
I wanna be what's on TV,
And if that's wrong, please don't blame me,
'Cause where I live we have nothing
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.
In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.

Ghetto, ghetto,




Oh Lord, I've been, I've been praying for you
Hallelujah, Lord save these children

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Ghetto" by Akon and Notorious B.I.G touch on the harsh realities of growing up in the ghetto. In the first verse, Akon prays for the people living in the ghetto, a place where opportunities are few, and the future is bleak. He talks about how in the ghetto, kids grow up without education, mothers turn to drugs for comfort, parents leave their children alone, and everyone is struggling to make ends meet. Despite all of this, the people living in the ghetto still strive to be like the celebrities they see on TV.


In the second verse, Notorious B.I.G adds his voice to the mix. He speaks about the dreams of the children growing up in the ghetto. Boys want to be ball players or rappers, while girls aspire to be models. He emphasizes the need for politicians to step up and make things better in the ghetto. Unfortunately, they often make empty promises that do not produce real change. Notorious B.I.G also touches on the reasons why crimes continue to happen in the ghetto. He observes that many black people do not have access to opportunities outside the ghetto, which is why they resort to illegal activities.


Overall, the song is a cry for help from people living in the ghetto. It is a reminder that those who have made it out should reach back to help others escape the cycle of poverty and hopelessness.


Line by Line Meaning

Ghetto, ghetto, Oh, I've been, I've been praying for you Hallelujah.
This song expresses remorse for the state of the ghetto and the hopefulness of prayer for a better future.


It is easy as 1, 2, 3, I wanna be what's on TV, And if that's wrong, please don't blame me, 'Cause where I live we have nothing In the ghetto, ghetto, ghetto.
The singer longs for an escape from poverty and the influence of media that seems to offer a way out.


Little kids growing up without no education, Mom's on drugs, 'cause that's her only medication. Nobody's home, but they ain't on a vacation, But they left the kids alone watching the TV station. What's wrong with the picture, please, someone give me the answers They be wondering why the girls grow up to be dancers Then we wonder why the boys grow up to be dealers And they be angry at the whole world ready to kill us.
The lack of education and emotional absence of parents leaves children seeking escape or direction elsewhere, and often they turn to misguided paths out of frustration and anger.


Aye, after we start to resolve the whole problems How we let our little children just turn into goblins Why we got them all killing and stealing and robbing We need to plan a little seed to prevent the mobbing Why don't we teach them that science to reach for the stars? 'Cause they can be defiant with a future worse than ours Don't want them looking in the past and covering scars They need a path out the ghetto, ghetto, hello.
The singer suggests that solutions require more than policing or punishment, but also involve providing opportunities to look beyond current circumstances and find hope and purpose.


Little boy had a dream of being a ball player 'His little homie wanna grow to be a rhyme slayer, Little missy wanna grow to be a model While the momma at home just drinking on the bottle. Aye, how come little one to grow and be a councilman? Senator or governor, a mayor politician Probably 'cause the politicians keep tricking 'em Promise that they fixing it but they ain't really fixing it.
The song laments how the dreams of children are often stifled by a lack of meaningful opportunities and the disillusionment that comes from broken promises of change.


Aye, that's why they want to be like me Like Jigga like B and Nicky and Ri Every day in the ghettos is an emergency But the powers that be don't emerge and seek That's why you see killing, that's why you see crimes, That's why you see the homies in the prison doing time That's why you see crack, that's why you see blacks trap With no access out the ghetto, ghetto.
The singer notes that the desperation and lack of progress in the ghetto leads people to seek escape even through dangerous or illegal means and that the lack of action on the part of those in power reinforces the poverty cycle.


Ghetto, ghetto, Oh Lord, I've been, I've been praying for you Hallelujah, Lord save these children
The song ends with a prayer for the future of the ghetto and the children living there.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brandon Green, Calvin Johnson, William Adams

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@Oldschoolrap91

Pac was such a beautiful soul. His spirit and way through his life were so human, so aware of his existence, so consciously living until the very last breath as far as I can tell. His physical death, yet his mind and spirit live on. His message and way to take on his life no matter what he was facing, that's rare. So rare that his young body of 25 contained a soul older than the wise old man.
He said in one of his interviews " I got the whole world fear me, at 23, weighing 160 lbs and I haven't even started, I haven't even write out my plan yet."
So powerful. He had no filters, no masks, just a pure, direct, honest, open and fully real human being. And he did what he thought best with his life and was so open and pure with his feelings and emotions ...
He definitely is the closest person I've never met physically, but spiritually yes.

Poet, actor, rapper, activist, socially aware.
Thriving on so many levels with everything life threw at him. Inspirational and example for many.
He fought for what he believed in and lived. He faced all his fears and laid them bare in his life, all there in the open. His songs, acting roles, interviews, poems, the way he lived.

That recent docu series called Dear Mama is a gem on so many levels.
The name says it all. Afeni, the reason Tupac Amaru Shakur excited in the first place. And I mean him as a person, his name, and his character and power to take on life and all challenges. A combination of life, societies child that society also formed him as he said and of course such a big main part goes to his mom, Afeni. Her life, what she did and how she raised him.
There is so much to say, so let's keep their spirit and message alive and spread it.

Honor these beautiful souls and share it. Spirits like these 2 we definitely need in this world.



All comments from YouTube:

@issacissac9861

People listening to this in 2024 have seen the good times. More importantly, they know where the good music is. You’re an OG. Keep it up and have a blessed day.

@Draco7892

My brother

@smooshi.mooshi

Thank u

@barbaralife8322

Im here from morocco🇲🇦

@kylegiggly6397

Here from Ireland 🇮🇪 🎉

@mommyios

Or someone showed them this magical piece.

13 More Replies...

@aliounesy2317

The more time passes, the more I realize that the things of the past are better than those of the present.

@arjanmandemakeram

The older folks was always right. I could'nt believe it when they said that back in the days

@ndriqimjashari7707

The life was beautiful until smartphone came out

@arjanmandemakeram

@@ndriqimjashari7707 true dat my friend

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