[Verse 1]
Eighty-seven west-coast raised, in the days
When side street cyphers elicited amazement
And battle raps meant just some friends in a basement
And it was all love, and no dreams to be famous
See murder was the case, we had it on tape
Side A sing along every time it go played
And I used to want to be Will Smith
sh**... I still want to be Will Smith, and it goes like this
I was 8 in the back room, listening to Dre straight rap about Sa**oon
Everybody had a boom box blasting bap boom
Looking for a phat tune, something we could dance to
Had Montell singing out this is how we do it
Tryna get the new Jordan's when they was really new
Give a damn about money but we still rocked gold
Raise a toast to the days of old
[Hook]
I said cheers mate! How the beer taste?
Bottle in the sky, raise um high, show that we're great!
OJ and some Seagram's Gin
And we gone take it back to where it begins, raise um up!
[Verse 2]
Yes yes y'all, and it don't stop
I'm from the time before music needed steep drops
Spitting heat rocks, over a G-funk beat
I've been cultivating music that be cultivating he
He-who-must-not-be-named, snake tattoos like I rep that gang
Man your boys insane, with a dumba** name
Cause the kid been frank (Ben Frank) cause he just wants change
Last name Chang, cause I'm all about Community
This do-it-for-the-love style really ain't new to me
In high school I rocked white shirts and Chuck T's
And khakis with only one crease
That's how we got down way back when
Everything from Mac 10 got play back then
Back before Pac was a name in lore
So raise a cup to the days of yore
[Hook]
I said cheers mate! How the beer taste?
Bottle in the sky, raise um high, show that we're great!
OJ and some Seagram's Gin
And we gone take it back to where it begins, raise um up!
[Verse 3]
Softmore year at the dance like shorty what's your name?
Acting like I understand forty watters slang
Like peep my scraper it's all about the paper
Man cut the sh** like I'm swinging light sabers
I used to write gang rap, ain't that
Some sh**? I can't believe that I'm even saying that
Instead of having rights read, I read books
Cause there ain't no such thing as halfway crooks
We used to act so cool, after school bumping old Kanye in an above ground pool
I could live here forever feel me?
Grouch singing "I'm just a simple man really" and
That was just another day
Perfect in every way not much to say
Who would've thought that these days won't last
Raise a toast to the days long past
[Hook]
I said cheers mate! How the beer taste?
Bottle in the sky, raise um high, show that we're great!
OJ and some Seagram's Gin
And we gone take it back to where it begins, raise um up!