In The Ghetto
Trae Lyrics

In the ghetto, I'm living in a ghetto world
Trae is living in a place that has all the negative characteristics of the ghetto, including poverty, pain, and violence.

In the ghetto (in the ghetto), it's a struggle but I gotta maintain
Despite the challenges, Trae is determined to stay strong and persevere.

Welcome to the ghetto, where forever be the same
Trae acknowledges that the ghetto is stuck in a cycle and is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Hard times, got my people unable to maintain
The people in the ghetto are struggling to keep up with the difficulties of their environment.

Every time I look around, it's somebody doing bad
Trae sees the negative consequences of the ghetto and how it affects the people who live there.

That'll put you in the grave, for som'ing they never had
Sometimes people in the ghetto are driven to do bad things in order to get things they've never had before.

Everyday in the hood, it be the same thang
The routine in the ghetto is always the same, with poverty and hardship being a constant presence.

Poverty running my people, so they love pain
The poverty in the ghetto is causing the people living there to embrace and get used to the cycle of pain and negative experiences.

And I don't know if it's wrong, but still I know it ain't right
Trae recognizes that certain things that go on in the ghetto are wrong, but also knows that the conditions that exist make it difficult for people to act any other way.

I seen a lot of people die, in the street life
The violence in the ghetto has led to Trae witnessing a lot of people passing away.

The other day it hit my heart, when I watch the news
Trae is often affected by bad news, like the death of a child, that highlight the negatives of the ghetto.

Sometimes I want to help the ghetto, but it ain't gon do a thang
Despite his desire to make a positive change, Trae realizes that it may not make a difference because the conditions are ingrained in the ghetto.

'Cause I know that they ignant, and that's a god damn shame
Trae recognizes that some of the people in the ghetto are ignorant, which only perpetuates negative conditions.

It's an everyday task, trying to live a good life
Living a good life in the ghetto is a constant struggle.

Inside of the ghetto, where everybody be shife
The people who live in the ghetto are always suspicious and wary of others due to the environment they live in.

Welcome to the South, niggaz ain't sleep at all
In the Southern United States, people living in the ghetto are always on high alert and don't have the luxury of peaceful rest.

Everybody out on the block, stay ducking them laws
People in the ghetto live in fear of the law and often go out of their way to avoid interaction.

A couple niggaz on parole, hustling by the sto'
Some people in the ghetto are trying to make ends meet by selling drugs or doing other illegal things, which puts them at risk of violating their parole.

But you don't hear me though, this what I'm living fo'
Despite any warnings, people in the ghetto will continue to hustle to try to get ahead because they see no other way out of their situation.

Hustle till I get mine, grind cause I need mo'
People in the ghetto need to hustle to get money and escape their environment.

This how it is in the street, leaving is obsolete
The street life is ingrained in the people in the ghetto and leaving is often seen as impossible.

Sometime I scream, my brain just looking for a change
People in the ghetto often get frustrated and feel like they need a way to break out of the cycle they're in.

But day in and day out, I move in and move out
Despite the desire to make a change, people in the ghetto have to keep going and hustling to survive day after day.

Couldn't be broke for nothin', still I was learning some'ing
Even though he wasn't broke, Lil Boss still needed to learn how to survive in the ghetto.

If you ain't been through nothing, then you ain't seen nothing
Those who have never lived in the ghetto are ignorant of the realities of life there.

Where anybody can get it, anytime of the day
The danger and violence in the ghetto are present at all times, so anyone can become the victim of it.

I analyze the block, babies are running round with glocks
Lil Boss sees that there are children in the ghetto who are growing up with weapons and being exposed to violence at an early age.

Dope in they socks, can't skip hot so fuck the cops
People in the ghetto are used to breaking the law and trying to avoid the police.

Moving from crumbs to bricks, nigga these slums are thick
People in the ghetto strive to move up from poverty, but it's difficult to do so because the cycle is so deeply ingrained.

These white folks don't play, they gon hot your way
Laws are strict in the United States and people in the ghetto will be punished severely if caught breaking them.

They try to give you twenty years, just for livin' the wrong way
Harsh penalties await people in the ghetto who break the law, even for minor offenses.

We get chased home for stones, and laws want to break our bones
People in the ghetto are treated poorly by the authorities and the law often comes down heavily on them.

In places in and out a high cell, to roam
Jails and prisons are common places for people in the ghetto to end up, and it's common for them to be in and out of lockup.

And that's prolly the reason, we going crazy
The harsh realities of the ghetto can contribute to people going insane or acting out violently.

Pissed at poverty, cause the system trying to fade me
People in the ghetto are angry at the poverty they live in and they feel like the system is trying to hold them down and keep them there.

Lately, I've been trying to stay out of trouble
People in the ghetto often try to stay out of trouble, but sometimes it's difficult to avoid dangerous situations.

But it's hard to stop from copping, the sack and flipping the double
Even though they're trying to avoid trouble, people in the ghetto are often drawn back to hustling because it's difficult to survive any other way.

Don't catch the wrong route, when you on that Metro
It's important for people in the ghetto to be careful when traveling so that they don't end up in the wrong place and in danger.

There's a sign in front of the hood, that says Welcome To the Ghetto
The sign in the hood is a testament to the fact that people living there are aware of the harsh realities and dangers of their environment.