I'm From The Ghetto
The Game Lyrics

We the best
We are the best representation of the hood and the ghetto.

I represent the hood
I am a true representative of the underprivileged urban areas.

I represent the ghetto
I represent the impoverished communities that struggle to survive.

I represent the people
I represent the individuals who are often overlooked by society.

I represent you
I represent those who have been through the same struggles as me.

All the money in the world couldn't change me
Money has no bearing on my true identity and where I come from.

No diamond rings or them fancy cars
Material possessions do not define me nor impress me.

Cause my niggas in the hood woulda let me
My true friends from the neighborhood would not be impressed by my possessions.

Holler this because
Listen to me as I shout out my origins.

(I'm from the ghetto) I'm from the ghetto
I originate from underprivileged urban areas.

(I'm from the projects) I'm from the projects
I come from government-funded housing projects.

All over the world and every hood they know
My roots and origins are known across multiple cultures and urban areas.

I'm from the ghetto and that's fo' sho'
My upbringing and environment influence who I am today.

Ayo Cali
Hey, California (referring to the hometown of the artist The Game).

Walk with me
Join me as I take you on a lyrical journey that reflects my upbringing.

Yeah that's what got me here
My upbringing in the ghetto and experiences brought me to where I am today.

The chucks the khaki suits
I wore Chuck Taylors and khaki suits growing up in the hood.

All the swap meet years
I wore clothes and bought goods from swap meets growing up.

The six dollar socks the five dollar rocks
I bought socks for six dollars and fake drugs for five dollars in the hood.

Uncle Greg rest in peace he taught me how to chop
My uncle who passed away taught me how to sell drugs.

That's why I love the hood and everything we got
Despite the struggles, I still love the hood and the people in it.

From the ice cream trucks to the forty ounce tops
There are aspects of the hood that are unique and symbolize where I come from, such as ice cream trucks and 40-ounce beers.

All white Air Force Ones to fake Jacob watch
Shoes like the all-white Air Force Ones and fake watches like Jacob's were popular in the hood.

A few reasons why I drive the Bentley hard top
I drive a luxury car like a Bentley because it is a symbol of my success that came from the struggles of growing up in the hood.

Use it in my songs cause I live it on the block
I use my experiences and origins in my music because it reflects my life growing up in the hood.

Tattoo it on my face let the whole world watch
My identity and my origins are so important to me that I have tattooed it on my face for everyone to see.

I'm that type of nigga y'all made my city bigger dog
I am the type of person that represents the hood with pride and helped make it known worldwide.

Turn the TV off got tired of watchin' Jigga boss
I got fed up with watching Jay-Z's success on TV and wanted to achieve my own.

So we told our mom's we was lookin' for jobs
We lied to our moms about looking for jobs when we were actually in the record store trying to make music.

When we was really in the record store lookin' for Nas
We were in the record store looking for inspiration from the rapper Nas.

Project of the ghetto, Ghetto and the project
I grew up living in the housing projects, which was a part of the bigger ghetto area.

From Compton to being Dre's number one prospect so
I come from Compton and was mentored by hip-hop legend Dr. Dre.

Holler this because
Again, listen to me as I shout out my origins.

(I'm from the pojects) I'm from the projects
I am from the government-funded housing projects.

Yeah ugh
An exclamation sound often used in hip-hop music to enhance the mood or the flow.

They know
People across many urban areas are aware of my background and identity.

Ain't no help there just food stamps
Growing up in the ghetto, there wasn't much financial assistance except for food stamps.

Weight checks and welfare
Other assistance programs available to those living in poverty in the ghetto.

Every man gone for self there
In the ghetto, everyone is looking out for themselves because there is little help from outside.

Still might need to borrow your medicade card for health care
Even with assistance programs available, people in the ghetto often still struggle to access healthcare.

Yeah if you never got knocked then you made it
If you didn't end up in jail, you're considered to have made it out of the ghetto.

Everybody know each other if not they related
Families that live in the ghetto often know each other, and even if they don't, they are likely to be somehow related.

You can get shot or get bladed
Violence is prevalent in the ghetto, as people are at risk of getting shot or stabbed.

There's dudes that got jobs now that had blocks in the eighties
People who used to sell drugs in the eighties have now moved on to more stable jobs.

Six months five years for you just to cop out
People in the ghetto often end up spending a significant amount of time in jail or prison for relatively minor offenses.

Ninth or tenth grade is usually when niggas drop out
People in the ghetto often drop out of school at a young age.

Fights break out when you wired and start joking
Arguments and fights often arise even when there is no real issue; people are tense and on edge.

A lot of OG's retired and started smokin'
Many older gangsters and gang members end up quitting the life and becoming addicted to smoking drugs.

House party games of spade sweet kool-aid
Typical activities at a house party in the ghetto include playing card games like Spades and drinking sweet Kool-Aid.

Loud music all night till the boys in blue raid
Parties in the ghetto are often loud and can attract the attention of the police.

So therefore I could never be too paid
I will never forget my roots and where I come from.

I know where I'm going and where I'm from will get you laid
I am aware of my past and my background and how it can influence future success.

Tell me this how come
Here I am asking a question about people forgetting their origins once they become successful.

Black folks get a little doe
Once people of color acquire wealth, they often distance themselves from the ghetto and their roots.

And forget where they come from
People often forget about their past struggles and poverty when they achieve success.

Man we used to have good times
Despite the struggles, there were still good times had by all in the ghetto.

But since you moved on up you ain't cool with us
Once successful, people often distance themselves from the ghetto and their friends there.

We still support you tho we don't see you much
Despite the distance, we still support those who have achieved success.

You ain't the first fool its cool with us
This isn't the first time someone has distanced themselves due to success; we have seen it before.

But why you living out your idols dreams
Why are you living someone else's dreams instead of embracing and improving your own upbringing?

Remember how for you came and help you keep those thangs
Remember where you came from and how your origin has influenced you and your success - don't abandon it.

Now its cool that your address changed
Moving to a better neighborhood or location is understandable, but don't forget your past.

But I'm tryna holla at my dog and the number ain't the same
I'm trying to get in touch with someone I used to know in the ghetto, but their contact information has changed.

I guess new homies came with his fame
Once someone becomes successful, they often attract new friends and acquaintances that weren't around before.

But see true homies will stay the same
Despite the success, true friends from the ghetto who knew you before your rise to fame will still be around.

Through all the up's and down's in your career
True friends will stick with you success, failure, and everything in between.

A couple wives few kids scattered here
Even with success, true friends will still stick with you through big life changes like getting married and having children.

And when you dead or broke without a deal
True friends will still be there for you even if someday you don't have the same level of success.

All the groupies cleared
When the success is gone, so will the fake friends and hangers-on.

The ghetto will still be here
Despite everything, the ghetto community will always be around.