Talking 'bout the ghetto

Funky, funky ghetto

Trying to survive, trying to stay alive

The ghetto

The ghetto

(Talking 'bout the ghetto)

The ghetto

The ghetto

(Funky, funky ghetto)

Even though the streets are bumpy, lights burned out

Dope fiends die with a pipe in their mouth

Old school buddies not doing it right

Every day it's the same and it's the same every night

I wouldn't shoot you, bro, but I'd shoot that fool

If he played me close and tried to test my cool

Every day I wonder just how I'll die

Only thing I know is how to survive

There's only one rule in the real world

And that's to take care of you, only you and yours

Keep dealing with the hard times day after day

Might deal me some dope but then crime don't pay

Black man trying to break into my house again

Thought he got off dope doing time in the pen

Even though my brothers do me just like that

I get a lot of love so I'm giving it back to the ghetto

The ghetto

(Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

The ghetto

(Funky, funky ghetto)

The ghetto

(Trying to live our lives)

The ghetto

(Won't ya tell 'em 'bout it Too $hort)

So just peep the game and don't call it crap

'Cause to me, life is one hard rap

Even though my sister smoked crack cocaine

She was nine months pregnant, ain't nothing changed

600 million on a football team

And her baby died just like a dope fiend

The story I tell is so incomplete

Five kids in the house, no food to eat

Don't look at me and don't ask me why

Mama's next door getting high

Even though she's got five mouths to feed

She'd rather spend her money on a H-I-T

I always tell the truth about things like this

I wonder if the mayor overlooked that list

Instead of adding to the task force send some help

Waiting on him I'd better help myself

Housing Authority and the O. P. D

All these guns just to handle me in the ghetto

The ghetto

(People are dyin')

The ghetto

(Children are cryin')

The ghetto

(Don't have enough to eat)

The ghetto

(Don't even have shoes on their feet)

The ghetto

Even though they put us down and call us animals

We make real big banks and buy brand new clothes

Drive fancy cars, make love to stars

Never really saying just who we are

We use alias names like TOO $HORT

Sell you stuff you might kill for

Young kids grow up and that's all they know

Didn't teach him in school now he's slangin' dope

Only thing he knows is how to survive

But will he kill another brother before he dies?

In the ghetto, you keep one eye open

All day long, just hoping and hoping

You can pay your bills and not drink too much

Then the problems of life you'll be throwing up

Like me, but you don't see

Ten years from now, where will you be?

The ghetto

(Tryin' to get out of the ghetto)

The ghetto

(But I got no place to go)

The ghetto

(Tryin' to survive in the heart of the ghetto)

The ghetto

(Ha, 'cause that's the only place that I know)

So much game in a Too $hort rap

Can't be white and whites can't be black

Why you wanna act like someone else?

All you gotta do is just be yourself

We're all the same color underneath

Short Dog is in the house, you better listen to me

Never be ashamed of what you are

Proud to be black, stand tall and hard

Even though some people give you no respect

Be intelligent, when you put 'em in check

'Cause when you're ignorant, you get treated that way

And when they throw you in jail you got nothing to say

So if you don't listen, it's not my fault

I'll be getting paid and you'll be paying the cost

Sitting in the jailhouse running your mouth

While me and my people try to get out

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

(Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

(Funky, funky ghetto)

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

(Tryin' to survive)

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

(Tryin' to stay alive)

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

(Funky, funky ghetto)

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

(Got no place else to go)

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)

(Tryin' to stay alive)

The ghetto (Talkin' 'bout the ghetto)