Life As A Shorty
Shyheim Lyrics

Thug niggaz bounce to this,
This song is only for hardcore, thug-like individuals.

only thug niggaz bounce to this,
Again, this song is strictly for hardcore, thug-like individuals.

word up,
I am telling the truth, believe me or take my word for it.

I wan't no fruitcake ass ? niggaz bouncing to this shit right here,
I don't want weak, unmanly people dancing to my song.

word up, strictly hardcore only, check it
Just to reiterate, this song is only for hardcore, thug-like individuals.

Gunshots, they travel throughout my projects quickly,
Gunshots are common in my neighborhood and can be heard frequently.

I stay thuggin', for pray the god that none hits me,
I am constantly alert and prepared for danger, hoping to not get hit by a bullet.

me and my peoples we swarm in packs,
I hang out with a group of people, and we stick together for protection.

some rap others sell crack, to get stacks of the green paper,
Some of us make money through music, while others sell drugs to make a living.

we move makers, lex and landcruisers takers,
We are big spenders, driving expensive cars like Lexus and Landcruisers.

block vacators, thugs that run 5 acres of land
We control entire blocks of the neighborhood, and some of us have large properties.

flooded with dealers who kill for grams,
Our area is full of drug dealers who will resort to violence for even small amounts of drugs.

it's the street life, baby you wouldn't understand nothing,
The lifestyle we lead on the streets is something you wouldn't be able to comprehend, especially if you haven't experienced it firsthand.

getting my hustle on, just 8 to 10,
I work hard to make money, usually from 8 to 10 in the morning.

but here I go again, cause recreation programs,
I have to resort back to hustling because the programs offered for us to make money are not sufficient.

they makin' me no grands,
These programs don't make enough money for me to sustain my lifestyle.

so much stress on my mind I can just kill a man
I am constantly under stress and pressure, which makes me feel like I could snap and commit a violent act.

I never knew my own dad when I was young he broke out,
My father left when I was young and I never had a relationship with him.

that's when my mom got smoked out,
After my father left, my mother turned to drugs to cope with her struggles.

and I took the street route,
I chose to turn to the streets to find a sense of belonging and a way to make money.

I hung around with real gangstas playas and hustlas,
I associated with other people who chose to live a similar lifestyle to mine.

I guess they liked my style a lot,
These gangsters, playas, and hustlers took a liking to me and my personality.

so they took a little nigga under the wing,
These individuals took me in as their own and mentored me in the street life.

eventually I started slingin' white shit,
I began selling drugs, specifically cocaine.

no time for school 'cause the hours didn't mix,
I stopped attending school because it interfered with my drug-dealing schedule.

so sleep late at night most nights I didn't even sleep,
I would stay up late into the night, often not even sleeping because of my work schedule.

that's how I got caught up, and sold a dime to the beast.
By being involved in the drug game, I got caught by the police and eventually went to jail.

They offered me a 1 to 3, hahaa , I do a bullet,
I was offered a prison sentence of 1 to 3 years, but I'd rather take a bullet than go to jail.

traded in my gats for greens that's how the state do it,
In jail, I traded my weapons for vegetables, which is how things work in prison.

I'm movin' ain't no joking get your muthafuckin' dosage,
I continue to sell drugs even in jail, and people better not mess with me.

so when you and the penal don't be acting like no biaaatch
I tell others in jail to not act weak or like a coward.

I'm seventeen now, and I'm off to parole,
I am now 17 years old and have been granted parole to leave jail.

I see the ? a month, hopefully I be home,
I am given a certain amount of time each month to leave jail and hopefully be released soon.

I'm kinda anxious, I haven't seen my friends in a year,
I feel nervous and excited to see my friends again, as I haven't been able to see them for a year because of my conviction.

my moms OD and when I think about it every seals,
My mother overdosed on drugs and the thought of it affects me deeply.

but I'm a young man that gotta change his lifestyle,
I realize that I need to change my ways and choose a better, more positive path in life.

get a job at compound, it ain't easy as it sounds,
I plan on getting a job at a company, but I know it won't be easy to find good work as a former convict.

I gotta have some fast money, flippin' burgers everyday,
I still need to make money quickly, even if it means working at a fast-food restaurant.

I been to ? house, I get a slinky day,
I have been to a drug dealer's house, where I can get drugs to sell and make quick money.

anybody in my way I'm blasting, fuck the peace
I have a violent attitude towards anyone who tries to stop me from making money and I don't care about maintaining peace.

'cause there's a war upon the streets,
I feel like there is a constant battle happening in the streets to make money and establish power.

no south west or east, all my niggaz in the struggle
This struggle exists all over, regardless of location or geography.

hold your head and get the CREAM,
I offer encouragement to others to stay strong and make money, the CREAM referring to cash rules everything around me.

big gunz money and pussy be the US ghetto dream.
Many people in the ghetto aspire to have big guns, lots of money, and sexual relationships as a sign of power and success.