To all the youth in the world
They think that nobody understands
Well I understand that
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
I grew up as a seventies baby
Brought up in poverty and sin
Making jokes at the crazy lady
Never cared how she was dealing within
I knew all the words to Michael
Jackson's album as a kid
And when it came to the biggest pressure
No he wasn't my man
At the age of seven years old
A strange thing happened to me
Before I even saw my life had flashed before me
And I've got the marks to show
And it became a thing of you
So I gotta let you know that my life and my life
It's been hard for me (it's been)
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
Now mama's working hard all day
And she said this before she left home
Take care of your little brother
Have the place clean when I get home
All this priority
Me and Tonya hadn't learned to be grown
But at the time for me
It's like grown had seemed so long
Woke up at seventeen
With nothing going for me
Except the fact that I sing
You know it hurts so much
From all the sights that I've seen
From abusing to holding d**
You probably couldn't take some of the things
That I lived in my life
It's been hard for me (it's been hard)
Trying struggling endlessly (I know, I know)
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at (I know, I know)
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
It's been hard for me (I'm wit you)
Trying struggling endlessly (I've been there)
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
It's hard when the street's a jungle
I'm telling you, I'm telling you
Especially with your pretty colors
I'm telling you, I'm telling you
So stay low and keep it humble
I'm telling you, I'm telling you
Black women hold it down keep your feet on the ground
Black men keep searchin and you'll be found
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
[Eve]
In this world of continuous bullsh** and full clips
Seems all we have to pa** on is being useless
Broken homes, babies all alone
Parents never there, no food, no clothes to wear
Anger everywhere
Ain't no values being taught
No productive thoughts
Jealousy rules the world, take sh** at any cost
Gotta change our state of life make it worth living
God gave me voices to speak, and that's our way of giving
It's so much bigger than the furs and duvels
What about encouraging the youth to do well
What about giving back
What about unifying sh** we all black, get it together
Everybody's got their trials and tribulations
Learn to change the negative to positive situations
Don't hold the lessons that you've learned
Pa** it on and accept the blessings that you earn
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly
For where I've been is no longer where I'm at
And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at
It's been hard for me
Trying struggling endlessly