[Verse 1] Yo yo It's a dog eat dog, piranhas eat sharks Might as well quit before you even start They say until you know where these dreams are sold Rubber bank rolls backed by fools gold Ma**es heading west to Los Angeles Told they were the best back in their little nest Somewhere, nowhere, but not from here Once they arrive, ambition meets with fear Insecurities change smiles to more denial The only constant is "No" struggles and trials It's a long road to the top of nothing No morals, no friends, just a love for something Never to be attained it drains the soul dry Under a bridge downtown the soul cry Feeling like the city is all you really have But when you take a look back, that's really sad [Chorus] In L.A. things don't always work out quite like they should (scratches) In L.A. things don't always work out quite like they should (scratches) [Verse 2: Sareem Poems] Young, dumb and sprung on fantasy Wants nothing more than to escape reality Needs them badly, glitz, glamour and fame Eyes set on neon lights illuminating her name Wearing shame like an overcoat, awkward and obvious Did p**n for cash, so tasteless and heartless Welcome to darkness, turned out the light Geeked out, by L.A.'s nightlife Not one thing's right, everything's gone wrong Supposed to be an actress, not dancing in a thong Stomach coke lines long, h**n in her arm Touching parts of men that she lapdance on There's no quiet to her storm, forever it roars loud Every single day, wishing she was a child Swearing to make the family proud, she starts over new Pushing 50, she figured she'd have her breakthrough [Chorus] In L.A. things don't always work out quite like they should (scratches) In L.A. things don't always work out quite like they should (scratches) [Verse 3] It's got to be more than this, big game, big risk The bold and the beautiful, young and reckless The Hollywood dream, h**n Santa Fe The rich and the poor live a few blocks away And it's all in Los Angeles home of the schemes Where the rich get richer trying to sell you a dream Young girls' self-esteem falls prey to the scene Tall, thin s** symbol is all she seen And that's all he expects, nothing more, nothing less New car, clean shoes, gotta stay well dressed Needs the best of the best to compete with the rest Pa**es on 22's Mercedes 500S They say you've gone Hollywood, the saying stands true Cause if you live in LA, you might lose a piece of you Innocence isn't something to have It can't last in a city that requires a mask [Chorus] In L.A. things don't always work out quite like they should (scratches) In L.A. things don't always work out quite like they should (scratches)