[Hook 1 (Overlapped with Hook 2): C-Rayz Walz]
(We live) where your close friends die
And they say that a man ain't supposed to cry
(We live) amongst the stress and struggle
And we know that the beast don't love you!
(We live) next door to rats and gats
And the cats in the back is selling crack
(We live) where there's no God in the sky
But we live ‘cause we can't die!
[Hook 2 (Overlapped with Hook 1): C-Rayz Walz] (x4)
They don't want us alive
We ‘posed to rise, we ‘posed to shine
[Verse 1: C-Rayz Walz]
We live where Heavy Metal ain't a rock magazine (Nah, for real)
But you'll get shot down with Glock magazines (I feel)
When we do good, we did wrong
Dougie got murdered in the hood but he still lives on
We play ball in the snow with our bubblegoose warm
Trying to clap boards with our church shoes on
We live where the ambulance take too long
When your a** is on the line like you dressed in thongs
(Be strong!)—the same thing I told my mother
With blood on her shoulder as she was holding my brother
(We live) where du-rags stay under the hat
And you don't want waves, but the bandana gotta match
‘Cause some still rock gold where everybody went plat'
Looking at the ground like "Yo! What's up with that?!?"
We live where some people fight fair (They don't want love, they don't want trust)
Everybody got a pair of Nike Airs and police is right there (They don't want us to bust a round)
[Hook 1 (Overlapped with Hook 2): C-Rayz Walz]
(We live) where your close friends die
And they say that a man ain't supposed to cry
(We live) amongst the stress and struggle
And we know that the beast don't love you!
(We live) next door to rats and gats
And the cats in the back is selling crack
(We live) where there's no God in the sky
But we live ‘cause we can't die!
[Hook 2 (Overlapped with Hook 1): C-Rayz Walz] (x4)
They don't want us alive
We ‘posed to rise, we ‘posed to shine
[Verse 2: C-Rayz Walz]
We live where I could be the next man out
And sh** is really Ludacris now like Def Jam South
Just let, let me know what's your fantasy
Mine is to live 'til 50 with a family
Can it all be so simple then? The instrumental ends
On stage, I k** it with a stenciled pen
It's not strange how the whole thing went down
It's a shame everybody want a bling chain now
(We live) where the young ones is bigger than me
It used to be P-A-L and Little League
That's dead now. Nobody wanna play on the block
Everybody want rims and a big-faced knot
It's not a game. I don't coach—I watch
From the sidelines. Players be missing they shots!
And I still clap ‘cause I know how it is (They don't want love, they don't want trust)
"Time out!" We be trying to score where we live (They don't want us to bust a round)
[Hook 1 (Overlapped with Hook 2): C-Rayz Walz]
(We live) where your close friends die
And they say that a man ain't supposed to cry
(We live) amongst the stress and struggle
And we know that the beast don't love you!
(We live) next door to rats and gats
And the cats in the back is selling crack
(We live) where there's no God in the sky
But we live ‘cause we can't die!
[Hook 2 (Overlapped with Hook 1): C-Rayz Walz] (x4)
They don't want us alive
We ‘posed to rise, we ‘posed to shine
[Verse 3: C-Rayz Walz]
We live where a 40 and a blunt is breakfast
And police swerve to serve and disrespect us
Churches ga**ed up, Chinese foods induce asthma
Roaches run fast. The rats run faster
This feeling got a few cracks. The corner's flooded
Tell me who want it. We wake up from bad dreams blunted
Basketball games feel like heaven
I married the streets—Uncle Ben threw rice at the wedding
Cla**ic like a slap box festival
Or when cats come home from doing five live federal
Surrounded by cheese like Domino. Copy cool
Mommy got a gat—papi too
Next to the liquor store, next to the church
'Cause of the verse, I'm in the Vibe, next on the verse
'Cause of the dirt in my past, I'm still grimy (They don't want love, they don't want trust)
Still living, moving forward with d**h behind me (They don't want us to bust a round)
[Hook 1 (Overlapped with Hook 2): C-Rayz Walz]
(We live) where your close friends die
And they say that a man ain't supposed to cry
(We live) amongst the stress and struggle
And we know that the beast don't love you!
(We live) next door to rats and gats
And the cats in the back is selling crack
(We live) where there's no God in the sky
But we live ‘cause we can't die!
[Hook 2 (Overlapped with Hook 1): C-Rayz Walz] (x4)
They don't want us alive
We ‘posed to rise, we ‘posed to shine
[Interlude: C-Rayz Walz]
Belief. Belief. Belief. Belief
[Outro: C-Rayz Walz]
They don't want trust, they don't want love
They don't want us to bust a round