I really hate to trip but I gotta loc

As they crawl, I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool

I'm the kinda g that little homie's wanna be like

On my knees in the night

Saying prayers in the street light

Been spending most our lives

Living in a gangsta's paradise (x2)

Keep spending most our lives

Living in a gangsta's paradise (x2)

They got the situation, they got me facing

I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the stripes

So I gotta be down with the 'hood team

Too much television watching, got me chasing dreams

I'm an educated fool with money on my mind

Got my tin in my hand and a gleam in my eye

I'm a loced out gangsta, set trippin banger

And my homies is down so am arouse my anger, fool

death ain't nothing but a heart beat away

I'm living life do or die, what can I say?

I'm twenty-three now, but will I live to see twenty-four?

The way things is going I don't know.

Tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me?

Been spending most our lives

Living in a gangsta's paradise(x2)

Keep spending most our lives

Living in a gangsta's paradise(x2)

Power and the money, money and the power

Minute after minute, hour after hour

Everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking

What's going on in the kitchen?

But I don't know what's cooking.

They say I gotta learn

But nobody's here to teach me

If they can't understand , how can they reach me?

I guess they can't

I guess they won't, I guess they front

That's why I know my life is out of luck, fool!

Been spending most our lives

Living in a gangsta's paradise(x2)

Keep spending most our lives

Living in a gangsta's paradise(x2)

Tell me why are we, so blind to see

That the ones we hurt, are you and me?(x2)