[Intro: E-40] Tragedy.. mmhmm mmhmm.. misery and triumph Piss poor, you know? Catastrophic moments They wanna know why I'm so seasoned, y'know Welfare recipient - there's a reason why I'm seasoned My folks out there in the ghetto.. the slums.. The projects.. and the beat down, renovated apartment complexes Smell me! [E-40] Uh, you in a new school whip Custom painted candy apricot bu*ter I'm in an antique old school four do' Muffler draggin beat up duster With scrapes and scratches, nicks and scars Y'all get to drink out of wine gla**es We gotta drink out of jelly jars Down and out like four flat tires no washing machine nor dryer Just a pillowcase sack and a bunch of clothes wrapped In a sheet on our way to the laundrymat Will I ever get paid, can I make a dollar out of fifteen cents? Y'alls got it made, we broke and starvin barely payin the rent Sleepless nights, alligator t-uh-tears Mommy arguin wit my daddy, daddy drunk too many beers 911 Mr. Po-Po, dey ain't happy wit day marriage Pops tryna beat her down and make her have a miscarriage My cousin shoots the needle, she be gone for days She on that da-ah-diesel, she gone end up wit AIDS I told her I love her I swear I just told her But you know what she said to me? Everybody got a gay or at least one dopefiend in they family You ain't the only one wit a reject in yo' family That's real [Hook: Otis & Shug)] The reasoned the reasoned that we're seasoned Seasoned and we, feel our paper won't disappear Ohhh, hey it's been a long time in the bay With God on our side we have somethin to say And through the hard times we survive the game Survive the game [E-40] If y'all smell onions - that's my arms potent The reason I'm musty is cause, we ain't got no mo' deordorant The laughin stock - patna, we ain't got no cash Feet stinkin through my shoes in P.E. cla** I'm thriznew with biznein briznoke; I'm about to hiznit the griznind And if I get popped it ain't half no more it's 80% percent of my time But that's ah cha-ah-chance, that I'mma have to-ah-take Today my son birthday and I can't even buy a cake I'm so damn through-a-through, I had a J.O.B You want me to cut my perm, oh y'all gone ave to fire me My fellow just got out da joint, thought he might be okay But my fellow got out and got stapled 26 times the same damn day Who wanna get dunked on? In the the flatlands it ain't never too late Patna all we need is a piece of plywood and a milk carton crate What about dat shopping basket, you know I'm smart We can gone take the wheels off that and ma-a-make a go cart Yo peoples blessed you, I started from a quarter ounce You came in the dope game wit a silver spoon up in yo' mouth Why we gotta gamble maine we hurtin, you got all the bucks In the ghetto we play dominoes for push ups [Hook] [Outro: E-40] You dig? You know My people just tryin to make a way out of nowhere, you dig? You know, the trials and tribulations, you dig? It's hard times out here y'know Y'know we just tryin to do our thing.. I remember when I was just a young boy Growin up things was real hard for me No food on the table, no clothes on my back Lord have mercy But my mother told me to stay strong Hey, it's been a long time, in the Bay With God on our side we have somethin to say And through the hard times we survive the game Survive the game