Ghetto
B.Luva Lyrics

Talking bout the ghetto, funky funky ghetto
Addressing the dismal reality of the ghetto, filled with funk and hopelessness

Trying to survive, trying to stay alive
Struggling not just to exist, but to keep fighting for another day

The ghetto
Repeating the name of the song's setting, the ghetto

Even though the streets are bumpy, lights burned out
Describing the rough conditions of the streets and the darkness they are cloaked in

Dope fiends die with a pipe in their mouths
Acknowledging the deadly effects of drug addiction on the community

Old school buddies not doing it right
Highlighting the struggles of those who have known each other for years but are failing in life

Every day it's the same
Expressing the monotony of life in the ghetto, where nothing seems to change for the better

And it's the same every night
Emphasizing how pervasive the lack of change is, even during nighttime

I wouldn't shoot you bro but I'd shoot that fool
Suggesting the loyalty shown to friends and the aggression directed at those who threaten or deceive

If he played me close and tried to test my cool
Explaining what could trigger a violent response from the artist

Every day I wondered just how I'll die
Contemplating his mortality is what occupies the mind of the singer on a daily basis

Only thing I know is how to survive
Admitting that he does not have a solution to the problems around him except to persevere

There's only one rule in the real world
Proposing a survival rule in the real world, one that prioritizes taking care of oneself and family

And that's to take care of you, only you and yours
Elaborating on the rule mentioned above, which could appear selfish and fend off others in need

Keep dealing with the hard times day after day
Accepting the fact that hard times are inevitable and keep coming day by day

Might deal me some dope but then crime don't pay
Musing on the commandments of crime in the ghetto, where its gains are temporary and outweighed by its risks

Black man tried to break into my house again
Sharing a specific experience where someone from his own kin threatens his peace and security

Thought he got off the dope doing time in the pen
Surmising that the criminal was into drugs and had served time in prison for it

Even though my brothers do me just like that
Acknowledging how a member of the same community could pose a danger to him and his household

I get a lot of love so I'm giving it back to the
Reflecting on the commonality of love within the community, which he is willing to return

People all dying
Repeating the bleak setting of the ghetto and its deadly consequences

Children are crying
Adding an emotional layer to the tragedy of the ghetto, where helpless children suffer

Don't have enough to eat
Describing the lack of basic necessities such as food on a widespread level

Don't even have shoes on their feet
Highlighting that even shoes, the most basic of clothing items, are hard to come by

So just peep the game and don't call it crap
Warning against dismissing the reality of the ghetto as something unworthy or below one's notice

Cause to me, life is one hard rap
Explaining how for the singer life is like a rap, where the beat is always hard and unforgiving

Even though my sister smoked crack cocaine
Disclosing that one of his very own family members is addicted to crack

She was nine months pregnant, ain't nothing changed
Depicting the direness of the situation where addiction overwhelms and dictates the actions of the afflicted

600 million on a football team
Paralleling the community's struggles with the enormous amounts of money invested in a team that hardly represents them

And her baby dies just like a dope fiend
Drawing a tragic connection between the life of an innocent baby and that of an addict

The story I tell is so incomplete
Admitting that the hardships he describes cannot be comprehensively depicted

Five kids in the house and no food to eat
Recounting a particularly trying time where feeding a family is a struggle

Don't look at me and don't ask me why
Dispelling any possibility of a reason or explanation for what happens in the ghetto

Mama's next door getting high
Mentioning the proximity of the drug problem and its effect on the community on a personal level

Even though she's got five mouths to feed
Calling attention to how drug addiction takes priority over even the most basic of responsibilities

She's rather spend her money on a H-I-T
Revealing the word “hit” to actually mean “heroin injection” and showing how addiction consumes all resources

I always tell the truth about things like this
Asserting the authenticity of the singer's depiction of reality

I wonder if the mayor overlooked that list
Venturing a criticism of the city government for ignoring the plight of the ghetto

Instead of adding to the task force send some help
Suggesting a feasible solution to the troubles in the ghetto, which enlists external aid instead of internal policing

Waiting on him I'd better help myself
Resigning himself to the fact that the real change must come from within the community

Housing Authority and the O.P.D.
Lamenting the agencies that ought to help but only suppress and oppress those in need

All these guns just to handle me
Expressing the overwhelming violent response of the authorities towards even the slightest dissent

Blacks can't be white and whites can't be black
Challenging the “white normativity” in society and proposing an acceptance of all races and ethnicities

Why you want to act like someone else?
Disapproving of the pressure to conform to a certain, predominantly white, image of success or achievement

All you gotta do is just be yourself
Encouraging being oneself, with individual strengths and weaknesses

We're all the same color underneath
Pointing out the fundamental similarity of all human beings, regardless of color

Short Dog's in the house you'd better listen to me
Using the singer's alias name, Short Dog, to identify with his listeners better and gain their attention

Never be ashamed of what you are
Reaffirming the importance of accepting and embracing one's identity

Proud to be black stand tall at heart
Encouraging pride in one's blackness and standing tall, something that might not seem natural in the ghetto but is vital for escaping it

Even though some people give you no respect
Acknowledging the harsh reality that not all people will be respectful and appreciative

Be intelligent, when you put em in check
Counseling a measured, intelligent response to disrespect or injustice, instead of an impulsive one

Cause when you're ignorant, you get treated that way
Explaining how an ignorant reaction to disrespect can only lead to more degradation

And when they throw you in jail you got nothing to say
Emphasizing the risk of, and utter powerlessness in, being imprisoned

So if you don't listen it's not my fault
Asserting that taking this advice could only benefit the listener, and the singer has done his part

I'll be getting paid while you'll be paying the cost
Reminding the listener of the high stakes involved in respect, one that could lead to financial success or imprisonment

Sitting in the jailhouse running your mouth
Describing the uselessness of throwing insults while in jail or custody

While me and my peoples try to get out
Implying that respect and intelligence can only lead to emancipation from the grips of the ghetto