C.R.E.A.M.
RAEKWON & INSPECTAH DECK Lyrics

What that nigga want God?
What does that person want? Watch out for the cops.

(Cash Rules) Word up, two for fives over here baby
You can buy two of these for $5.

Word up, two for fives them niggas got garbage down the way, word up
Beware, the guys down the street are selling poor quality drugs.

Know what I'm sayin'?
Do you understand me?

(Cash Rules Everything Around Me
Getting money is the most important thing in this world.

C.R.E.A.M. get)
We must obtain money to survive.

Yeah, check this ol' fly shit out
Listen to this cool stuff.

Take you on a natural joint
Let's take you on a journey.

Here we here we go
This is happening now.

(Dolla dolla bill y'all)
Money is very important.

I grew up on the crime side, the New York Times side
I was raised in a dangerous area of New York City.

Staying alive was no jive
It was difficult to survive.

At second hands, moms bounced on old men
My mother was involved with older men.

So then we moved to Shaolin land
We moved to a neighborhood called Shaolin.

A young youth, yo rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose
I was a young kid, wearing a gold tooth and a Polo goose jacket.

Only way, I begin to gee off was drug loot
I started getting high using money I made selling drugs.

And let's start it like this son, rollin' with this one
Let me begin my story by talking about my gang affiliations.

And that one, pullin' out gats for fun
We carried guns just for fun.

But it was just a dream for the teen, who was a fiend
I was a addicted to drugs and my gang life was just a fantasy.

Started smokin' woolies at sixteen
I started smoking crack when I was 16 years old.

And running up in gates, and doing hits for high stakes
I broke into homes and committed robberies for big money.

Making my way on fire escapes
I used fire escapes to escape from police raids.

No question I would speed, for cracks and weed
I would do anything to get crack and weed, even speed.

The combination made my eyes bleed
The effects of drugs made my eyes hurt.

No question I would flow off, and try to get the dough all
I would hustle hard to get as much money as possible.

Sticking up white boys in ball courts
I robbed white people at basketball courts.

My life got no better, same damn 'Lo sweater
My life wasn't improving, all I had was a Polo sweater.

Times is ruff and tuff like leather
Life is hard and it gets tougher.

Figured out I went the wrong route
I realized I made a mistake.

So I got with a sick ass click and went all out
I joined a dangerous gang and became fully involved.

Catchin' keys from across seas
I started selling drugs imported from other countries.

Rollin in MPV's, every week we made forty G's
We made a lot of money, driving around in MPVs.

Yo nigga respect mine, or anger the tech nine
Respect my gang or face the consequences.

Ch-chick-POW! Wu from the gate now
We're prepared to use violence if necessary.

It's been twenty-two long hard years of still strugglin
I've been struggling to survive for 22 years.

Survival got me buggin, but I'm alive on arrival
I've been through a lot, but I'm still alive.

I peep at the shape of the streets
I understand the danger of the streets.

And stay awake to the ways of the world cause shit is deep
I'm aware of the struggles in the world.

A man with a dream with plans to make C.R.E.A.M.
I had a dream to become rich.

Which failed I went to jail at the age of 15
I failed to achieve my dream and went to jail at 15.

A young buck sellin' drugs and such who never had much
I was a young hustler who never had much.

Trying to get a clutch at what I could not, could not,
I was trying to make something of myself, but couldn't do it legally.

The court played me short, now I face incarceration
The justice system gave me a harsh punishment and I was sent to jail.

Pacin' going up state's my destination
I'm going to a state prison.

Handcuffed in back of a bus, forty of us
I was transported to prison with many other criminals.

Life as a shorty shouldn't be so ruff
It's unfair for young people to have such a hard life.

But as the world turns I learned life is hell
As I grew older, I realized how difficult life can be.

Living in the world no different from a cell
Life can feel like a prison.

Everyday I escape from Jakes givin' chase, sellin' base
I run from police while selling drugs.

Smokin' bones in the staircase
I smoke marijuana in the stairwell.

Though I don't know why I chose to smoke sess
I don't know why I started smoking marijuana.

I guess that's the time when I'm not depressed
Smoking marijuana helps me feel less sad.

But I'm still depressed, and I ask what's it worth?
I'm still depressed and wonder if my life is meaningful.

Ready to give up so I seek the Old Earth
I'm considering giving up and turning to religion.

Who explained working hard may help you maintain
I learned that working hard might help me have a better life.

To learn to overcome the heartaches and pain
I need to learn how to deal with the struggles of life.

We got stickup kids, corrupt cops, and crack rocks
Our neighborhood has crime, police corruption, and drug addiction.

And stray shots, all on the block that stays hot
There's violence everywhere in our neighborhood.

Leave it up to me while I be living proof
I'll be an example of how to survive in this environment.

To kick the truth to the young black youth
I'll tell young black people the truth about life.

But shorty's running wild smokin sess drinkin' beer
Young people are wild, smoking and drinking.

And ain't trying to hear what I'm kickin in his ear
They don't want to listen to my advice.

Neglected, but now, but yo, it gots to be accepted
The issue of neglect is a reality that must be accepted.

That what? That life is hectic
Life is difficult and confusing.

(Cash Rules Everything Around Me
Money is power.

C.R.E.A.M. get)
We need to get money, at any cost.

(Dolla dolla bill y'all)
Money is important and valuable.