As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life and realize nothing's left
Cause I've been blasting and laughing so long that even
My mama thinks my minds gone but I ain't never crossed
A man that didn't deserve it.
Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of
You better watch how you're talking and where you're walking
Or you and your homies might lined in chalk

I really hate the trip but I gotta loc
As the croak I see myself in the pistol smoke
Fool! I'm the kinda g that little homies wanna be like
All my knees in the night
Saying prayers in the street light..

( chorus )
Been spending most of our lives living in the gangsta's paradise (x2)
Keep spending most of our lives living in the gangsta's paradise (x2)

Look at the situation, they got me facing
I can never live a normal life, I was raised by the street
So I gotta be down with the hood team
Too much television watching got me chasing dreams
I'm a educated fool with money on my mind
Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye
I'm a loc'd gangsta set trippin banger
And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger
Fool! death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away
I'm living life, do or die what can I say
I'm twenty-three now , will I live to see twenty-four
The way things are going I don't know

Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me
( chorus )

Power in the money , money in the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybodys running but half ain't looking
What's going on in the kitchen but don't know what's cookin'
They say I gotta learn but nobody's here to teach me
If they cant understand it, how can they reach me
I guess they can't , I guess they won't , I guess they front
That's why my life is outta luck fool !

(chorus )
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That the ones we hurt are you and me ( x2 )