Ghetto Dayz
Black-Ty Lyrics

Yea, right
Acknowledges disbelief or sarcasm

Compton, South Central Watts, Longbeach, Engelwood
List of geographic areas that influenced the artist's upbringing

(I'm reminiscing bout my ghetto dayz)
The artist is reflecting on his past experiences in the ghetto

West Coast for life, live and die for this shit
Expression of loyalty to the West Coast's culture and way of life

When I was young living life on the run,
The artist was living in a constant state of danger and instability

Eleven years old real life no goals,
The artist had no direction or purpose at a young age

Sneaking little sips in the cut,
The artist was drinking alcohol at a young age

Before they even called me Kurupt,
The artist had not yet adopted his current stage name

Ridin' down the block so Ima tell you how I grew up,
The artist is reminiscing on his past while describing his upbringing

I was always in the mix, too young for sticks
The artist was involved in shady activities despite being too young to carry weapons

Ty tell em about that Watts experience
The artist is inviting others to listen to his tales of growing up in Watts, CA

In Watts, a nigga couldn't wait for the summer time
The artist is reminiscing about the positive moments of his childhood in Watts

Back yard barbecue yea that'll free your mind,
The artist found comfort and solace in outdoor cookouts with family and friends

We stayed fallin' of them ice cream trucks,
The artist and his friends rushed towards ice cream trucks in their neighborhood to buy snacks and treats

All my niggas nickel baging it and hustling bucks,
The artist's peers were selling nickel bags of drugs and working odd jobs to make money

You could catch me in the middle of the streets
The artist spent a lot of his time out in the open with friends

Slap boxing with my nigga Porky,
The artist enjoyed play fighting with a friend named Porky

And as I take you down my memory lane
The artist is guiding the listener through a recollection of his past

Let em know
The artist is encouraging others to learn from his experiences

Let me take you back ooh (I'm reminiscin' bout my ghetto dayz)
The artist is providing further invitation for the listener to reflect on his past experiences

I ain't changed nigga, I'm just busy
The artist's life has changed due to being occupied with work/performances

Fuck bein' broke nigga, I'm filthy
The artist has transitioned from a financially struggling lifestyle to great economic success

Got a problem wit me holla at me I'll be back in 6 months
The artist is busy but still willing to handle any issues others may have with him

I'm on the road gettin' my money up
The artist is travelling frequently and working hard to earn more money

And I remember all the young soldiers in the hood
The artist is reflecting on the similarly distressed people he grew up with

Tryin' to gang bang slingin' nickel bags
Some of the people the artist grew up with fell into gang activity and drug dealing to make money

Screamin' money ain't a thing, for real
The artist's peers boasted about their money, while the artist himself lost sight of the importance of it

I know exactly how y'all feel
The artist empathizes with his peers who still struggle in poverty

I'm reppin' black and brown pride
The artist has pride in his racial and ethnic identity

West Side til I die
The artist will continue to represent the culture and people of the West side of LA until his death

I got a lot of rider in me
The artist has a lot of loyalty to his peers and community

I was thinkin', couple years older
The artist is continuing his reflection on his past experiences

Fourteen smokin' and drinkin'
The artist was participating in drugs and alcohol at an early age

Thinkin' bout uncle Jame's army
The artist had an uncle who served in the military abroad

The old folks love it
The older generation in the artist's community had pride in his uncle's military service

And I remember when I used to say I wanna rap and sing
The artist had a dream of becoming a rapper and singer from an early age

All my niggas used to laugh at me
The artist's peers initially dismissed his dreams of becoming a rapper/singer

But now, I'm on top of my game
The artist has become successful in his chosen career field

But now, it ain't a damn thing changed
Despite his newfound fame and wealth, the artist remains grounded and loyal to his past

Whether it was Coca Cola or straight coke
The artist and his peers would consume any available substance to cope with their circumstances

We found a way
Despite their poverty and difficult circumstances, the artist and his peers found ways to enjoy life

Hey and the memories of EZ and Pac
The artist is reflecting on the influence of artists Easy-E and Tupac on his life

California we all we got
The artist exclaims that the people of California rely only on themselves for support and survival

And to all my dead homies, we don't pour rout liquor
The artist and his peers do not commemorate the deceased with alcohol and instead pay their respects through other means

We just poke our chests out, and say we miss ya niggas
The artist and his peers simply express their condolences for their deceased friends

We was scared of gang bangers, walked to school in groups
The artist and his peers avoided dangerous gang members by travelling in groups

Argued who was the best MC, Ice Cube or Snoop
The artist and his friends debated over which rapper was the superior artist

Damn, I miss my ghetto dayz
The artist reminisces about his past despite the difficulties it entailed