Guilty By Affiliation
WC Lyrics

From hood to hood, city to project, the project
Regardless of location within the city, the struggle for survival is a constant for everyone living in the projects.

Nigga what's the motherfuckin' dialect?
What struggles do we all have in common?

Gangstas, caught in a shuffle
Those who live in the struggle are caught in a cycle of hustling and fighting for survival.

Niggaz tryin' to turn a constant struggle to the positive hustle
People try to turn the constant struggle of poverty into a positive hustle.

Whether it's the yay or the 9-to-5
Whether through selling drugs or working a traditional 9-to-5 job, people will hustle however they can to survive.

The pills or the chronic, we hustle to stay alive
People resort to selling drugs like pills or marijuana to hustle and make a living.

And if you ain't Reggie Bush runnin' a rock
If you can't excel in a traditional sense, like Reggie Bush running a football, then you must be extremely skilled in something else, like Kobe Bryant shooting hoops.

You better be good as Kobe slangin' a jumpshot
If you can't excel in a traditional sense, you must be extremely skilled in something else.

Cause round here the odds of success is nimble
Success is difficult to achieve and the odds are not in anyone's favor.

It's like Russian Roulet with five bullets in the barrel
Success is like a game of Russian Roulette, extremely risky.

I'm located on the map, with latinos and black
I live in an area on the map where Latinos and Black people are the predominant ethnic groups.

American dream is pistol and a dope sack
The American dream in these areas is to hustle and make money through selling drugs.

Where they process, strip us down to scan us
The authorities strip and search people of color in these areas out of suspicion and stereotypes.

Lock us up and ban us, the city of bandanas
People are arrested and outlawed for simply trying to survive in the struggle-filled city, often due to stereotyping.

Where we, grind steadily and move to the 12-gauge melody
People constantly hustle and move abound despite the numerous risks and dangers.

Just livin' in the hood is a felony
Merely living in these areas is considered a crime in the eyes of the law.

And if you guilty by affiliation
If you are associated with the struggle or the people that reside in these areas, you are considered guilty by default.

And you're subject to humiliation
You are often humiliated and degraded for being associated with these areas.

And you're facin' incarceration
You are facing the possibility of being arrested and imprisoned for being associated with these areas.

Probation or under investigation
You are constantly monitored or under suspicion for being associated with these areas.

Throw your hands up to the sky
Raise your hands up as a symbol of surrender or desperation.

Oh Lord please tell me why
A plea for understanding and explanation for why people in these areas must struggle to survive.

My own people gon' testify
People from the same struggle-filled areas are often testifying against each other due to harassment and coercion from authorities.

I'm in the hood and I don't have a alibi
Simply living in these areas often means there is no plausible alibi and suspicion is always looming.

I'm lookin' at my TV
I am watching television but still thinking about the struggles in my life.

The commercials keep tellin' me, nigga 'Be All You Can Be'
Advertisements are urging me to become a better version of myself, but it is difficult due to the constant struggles I face.

But if ain't BET or in the backseat
I can only see myself represented on Black Entertainment Television, or in the backseat of a police car.

of the LAPD I'd barely see me
If I weren't constantly being harassed and watched by the Los Angeles Police Department, I might not even be visible to society.

It's a trip, the whole world finna rap
It's ironic that rap music is popular throughout the world, but the people that create it still struggle to survive in the areas they come from.

But when it's time to shine, where all the real niggaz at?
When it's time to succeed, it becomes jarring that there isn't more representation of people from the struggle-filled areas who make it.

Do a nigga gotta be rich, just to get over?
Is extreme wealth the only way to succeed and escape the cycle of struggle and poverty?

Do a gotta be a bitch to sit next to Oprah?
Does one have to follow societal conventions and ideals to be successful and recognized among the mainstream?

It must be the walk but I'ma keep it O.G.
Perhaps it's my demeanor or my reputation, but I'll remain true to myself and my struggles (Original Gangsta).

I'm a nigga that like soul food and to smoke weed
Despite societal pressures and conventions, I still find joy in things like soul food and smoking weed.

And stay breaded, hit the corner on the hog
I'll maintain my hustling ways and remain rich (breaded), ready to hit the corner on my motorcycle (hog).

with my middle finger twisted, index and pinky spreaded
I'll ride on my motorcycle with my middle finger up and my index and pinky fingers spread apart in defiance and rebellion.

A sellout nigga, I'm the wrong type
People may consider me a sellout or not representative of the struggle because I don't follow conventional societal values and ideas.

West Coast nigga, take flight on site
I'm from the West Coast and will fight back or evade any enemies as soon as they appear.

I know they hate to see me comin'
People dislike and are fearful of me when they see me in my element or when I appear ready to hustle and defend myself.

Fo-fo' up under my zipper
I'm carrying a .44 caliber weapon (forty-four) right underneath my crotch area for protection.

Cause bein' black ain't a job it's a motherfuckin' adventure
Simply being black is not just a difficult path that must be endured, it's a thrilling adventure filled with unexpected twists and turns.

Look, the gun shots won't cease
The sound of gun shots and violence will never stop in the struggle-filled areas.

And rollin' by, if it ain't my enemies then it's the police
If I'm not being threatened by my enemies, then I'm being harassed by the police.

I'm askin', which one will kill me faster?
I question which threat will ultimately end my life sooner, my enemies or the police.

Is it that drive-by, or the cigarette causin' cancer?
Will I die from being shot, or from something as simple as a cigarette causing cancer?

God made a promise that we all gon' die
Death is an inevitability for everyone, regardless of their struggles or circumstances.

Along the ride nigga might as well ball and get high
Since death is inevitable, one might as well live life to the fullest by enjoying the pleasures of the world and getting high.

So I'm sittin' back with the zig-zag, grabbin' and snappin'
I'm sitting back, rolling and smoking marijuana, enjoying the simple pleasures of life despite its difficulties.

The gank back for action just in case I gotta get to clappin'
I'm carrying a gun to defend myself and to fight back when necessary.

Cause niggaz is playin' elimination
People are playing a game of elimination, meaning they are trying to survive and outlast one another despite the difficulties.

And where I'm from every nigga's guilty by affiliation
Everyone in my area is considered guilty by association due to the struggles of the area.

That's why we ride and the young die
This is why we hustle and ride motorcycles, and sadly why young people die too soon.

And you lucky if you live to pass 25
Not many people from the struggle-filled areas live past the age of 25, so it's considered a stroke of luck to survive that long.

It's the pure West Coast, comin' out your stereo
This song is purely representative of the West Coast and its struggles, coming out of your speakers in your stereo.

I gotta rep where I'm from (Where you from?)
I have to represent my struggle-filled area no matter what.

South Central where the good die young
I represent South Central, an area where many good people die young due to the struggles of the area.

It's the pure West Coast, comin' out your stereo
This song is a pure representation of the West Coast and its struggles, coming out of your speakers in your stereo.

It's the pure West Coast, comin' out your stereo
This song is a pure representation of the West Coast and its struggles, coming out of your speakers in your stereo.