Cradle to the grave (Thug life, vol.1 1994)

Текст песни 2Pac - Cradle to the grave (Thug life, vol.1 1994)

From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto

June 16th, 1971
Mama gave birth to a hell-raisin' heavenly son
See, the doctor tried to smack me
But I smacked him back
My first words was, "Thug for life," and "Papa, pass the MAC"
I'm bustin' on these motherfuckers, ballin'
Listen, you can hear my mini-14 callin'
From out the window of my drop-top

I got my Glock cocked
Bustin' at niggas, when will it stop?
Now tell me, are you scared of the dark?
Can't close my eyes, I see visions
And even with this thug livin', will I escape prison?
Penitentiary chances was an all-day thang
The only way to advance, and if you slang
Then you'd better have your Nikes on

'Cause when we fight
It's in the middle of the night with no lights on
Hey, there must be a God 'cause I feel lucky
Paranoid out my mind 'cause motherfuckers tryna rush me
Am I goin' to jail? Look at me bailin'
Comin' out the courthouse all about my mail and bank
Never, never die, I'll be a hustler, motherfuckers
And makin' thugs out you suckers from the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto

From the cradle to the grave, since a little bitty child
I've been known to get ill and kinda buck wild
Pop, pop, just like the part that's in my walk with street talk
I'm runnin' up the block in the dark where lead sparks
Surveillance on a nigga every day
Waitin' on my daddy just to take his ass away
Now Mama always workin', tryna make ends meet
So now a young nigga's bein' raised by the streets

And then the only other one that ever showed me love
Was my dope-fiend uncle, strung out on drugs
A straight thug, just me and my mama out here on our own
So I got two gats, one black and one of chrome
Now, I don't wanna hurt nobody, but I must defend mine
It's all the fuck I got, so stop and walk a thin line
Young niggas be brave, and keep on thuggin'
From the cradle to the grave, from the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto

From the cradle to the grave, I'm glad to say I made it this far
Many G's died hard and all they got was they name hit up on a wall
It's sad thinkin' about the times, life goes on
I'm steady lost in this land, that's the war zone
I gots no home, don't have no friends neither
It's just me by my lonely, so I married my Nina
I keeps her wherever I go, I love my ho
Never leave home without my sugar, I'ma have to plug a nigga

Mama told me not to trust no punks
And kick his ass if he lay a hand on me
Since then I been knowin', sometimes I think my own self stupid
'Cause I stay shootin' at marks, get twisted up in police reports
Since the cradle, I've been ungrateful
My first toy was a gun, I got sprung and learned to love weapons
But now I'm through with money and through with street fame
Somebody peeled my cap and put me in my grave

From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto

March 18th, a rainy day, my mama gave birth
To a baby boy trapped in hell on Earth
From day one it wasn't fun, I never had a crumb
Daddy worked two jobs and Mama won't stop drinkin' rum
I tried to cope, loc, but my family's broke
And my pocket's short, so now I gotta slang dope
In a game filled with pain, it's a fuckin' shame
The white man got a motherfucker slangin' 'caine

So now it's on from dusk to dawn, I'm gettin' my serve on
Always in the spot with my Glock, slangin' rocks at the Rox
The shit don't stop, I'm steady dodgin' cops
I never flip-flop, hear my Glock cock, thug 'til I drop
And if I hit the pen, I gotta do my time
Sittin' on my bunk, reminiscin' 'bout the good times
It's fucked up a nigga gotta grow up doin' dirt
But from the cradle to the grave, I'ma put in work

From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto

Time's movin' fast, will I last another day?
So I pray and I lay with my AK
Did I sell my soul as a young kid?
All the things I did, wishin' someone held me
But they never did
I can't take it, will I make it to my older age?
Before I'm shot up or locked up in a fuckin' cage
Lord, help me, guide me, save me

'Cause that's the way that Daddy raised me, crazy
Do or die, nigga, pull the trigger, don't give a fuck
You'd rather be in jail than get your ass bucked
Nobody cares, it's me against the world
Keepin' murder on my mind and my TEC-9
I got nothin' to lose, payin' dues
Nigga, you wanna die?
I get high, then my mission is a walk-by

You'd better jet when I hit your set 'cause I'm comin'
Start runnin', yellin' "evil mind" as I'm gunnin'
One in the chamber for the anger that I build inside
For the mothers that cried
For my homies that died
The beginnin' is an endin'
Am I just a slave?
So I got to be brave from the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto
From the cradle to the grave
Life ain't never been easy, livin' in the ghetto