18 years old, fresh outta school
I was young and had just finished school with not much direction in life.

Not much to do, but run with my crew
I spent most of my time hanging out with my friends because I didn't have much else going on.

Times gettin' hard, don't have no car
Life was starting to become difficult because I didn't have a car.

Pockets on low, wouldn't sell dope
I was struggling financially but refused to resort to selling drugs to make ends meet.

Can I succeed, music indeed?
I wondered if pursuing music could be my path to success.

Puttin' hits down, waitin' for royalties
I started making music and was waiting for the money from my hits to start rolling in.

Can it get better? It feels like forever
I wasn't sure if things could improve and it felt like I had been waiting for success forever.

Still thank the Lord, he opened these doors
Despite my struggles, I was grateful for the opportunities that came my way as a result of my hard work and faith.

Honey blunt burn slowly, homies hit they 40's
I smoked a joint and watched my friends grow old without much direction in life.

Street corner gettin' lonely?? to S-T how time passed me
I realized how much time had passed me by while hanging out on the street corner with nothing to show for it.

Livin' life positively, too near me not to hear me
I tried to stay positive in life and hoped that others would notice and be influenced by my attitude.

No gangsta white walls, but I still stand tall
I didn't have a fancy car or outwardly flashy possessions, but I still had pride and confidence in myself.

Givin' my all to all of y'all
I was committed to putting my full effort into my music and giving my audience the best experience possible.

Thank God for what I have, even if I don't have
I was grateful for what I had, even though I knew I still had a long way to go and a lot to work towards.

Isn't this a trip how life goes on, on and on
It's amazing how life never stops moving forward.

Without you knowin', that you gone
Time passes quickly and before you know it, things have changed without you realizing it.

That's why we ever givin' parties
To enjoy life's moments and appreciate the time we have with those around us.

In my town, Compton majestics keep it stompin'
The Compton community was known for its lively and energetic atmosphere.

Hunnies smokin'?? lookin' kinda cute to me
I was attracted to women at the party who were smoking weed.

Step to me, cause I'm Fo' C-L-I-P
My stage name was Fo' C-L-I-P, and I was ready to engage with anyone who wanted to talk to me or hear my music.

It feels good, done swung, hit a home run
It was a great feeling to have made a big breakthrough with my music and to have success.

Livin' in?? pads, smokin' a fat one
I was living in a nice place and enjoying some good weed.

I thank Almighty for these ends
Despite some difficulties, I felt grateful for the money that I was making from my music.

Put myself in the rag 4, put moms in a benz
I was able to buy myself a nice car and also help my mom buy a nice car as well.

I'm not sure exactly what you can do
I wasn't sure what advice to give someone who was struggling because everyone's situation is different.

But whatever you do, pursue and keep your peace and God with you
I encouraged others to pursue their dreams and to stay focused on their spiritual beliefs.

This goes out to the east side, west side
This message is for everyone in my city, regardless of what neighborhood they come from.

Get off your ass and pass y'all lighters
I urged people to get up and take action, and also to share their weed with others at the party.

And help with what you do have, even if you don't have
I encouraged people to help others with whatever resources or skills they have available, even if they don't have much.

I'm lookin' at myself as a role model now
I saw myself as a positive influence on others and wanted to use my success to inspire others.

A young black male, came up from the Comp-town
I was a young black male who had overcome the struggles of growing up in Compton and had found success.

Doing the best that I can to survive
I was doing my best to navigate the challenges of life and continue to find success.

I didn't have much but I still had my life
Despite not having many material possessions, I still had my health and was grateful for that.

I had to make a choice to get up and get somethin'
I had to make a decision to take action and start working towards my goals.

Mad at the world, wasn't thankful for nothin'
I used to be angry at the world and not appreciate what I had, but I learned to change my perspective.

Pops in my ear, but I'm hard, ain't hearin'
Even though my dad was trying to provide guidance, I wasn't always receptive to it.

Ain't puttin' paper in my pockets so I wasn't listenin'
I didn't feel like my dad's advice was valuable because I wasn't seeing any tangible results.

Don't get me wrong, I got love for moms and pops to the fullest
Even though I didn't always listen to my parents, I still had a lot of love and respect for them.

But I got dreams of makin' it in music
Despite any disagreements with my parents, I was committed to making my career in music work.

Pursued it, and now I'm so caught off them ghetto streets
I worked hard to pursue my dreams and it allowed me to escape the struggles of growing up in a tough neighborhood.

Include that the ghetto still shall rest me
Even though I left the ghetto, it would always be a part of me and my identity.

The reason why, because I can't forget where I came
I was committed to remembering my roots and staying connected to my community and upbringing.

Compton, the city where we dip on gold thangs
Compton was a place where people were proud of where they came from and showed it with their flashy possessions.

I'm thinkin' back on the past
I spent some time reflecting on my journey and where I had come from.

Damn, a BG didn't have, but I gotta??
I thought back to a time when I didn't have anything, and it made me appreciate all that I had accomplished even more.

Now I'm thankful for what I have
I was grateful for where I was in life and what I had achieved, regardless of the struggles along the way.

Cause I didn't have it...
I appreciated my success even more because I knew how hard I had to work to get there.

"Diamond in the back, sunroof top Oooooh" -William DeVaughn
This repeated line from the song is a nod to the original track by William DeVaughn, and represents a feeling of success, pride, and coolness associated with having a nice car and enjoying the sunshine.

For what you've got
The repeated phrase "for what you've got" throughout the song represents a message of gratitude and appreciation for what you have, no matter how big or small.