Still I Rise

Dear Lord, as we down here, struggle for as long as we know In search of a paradise to touch Dreams are dreams, and reality seems to be the only place to go The only place for us, I know Try to make the best of bad situations Seems to be my life's story Ain't no glory in pain, a soldier's story in vain And can't nobody live this life for me, it's a ride y'all, a long hard ride Somebody wake me, I'm dreamin, I started as a seed, the semen Swimmin' upstream, planted in the womb while screamin' On the top was my pops, my momma screamin' stop From a single drop, this is what they got Not to disrespect my peoples but my poppa was a loser Only plan he had for momma was to f**k her and abuse her Even as a lil' seed I could see his plan for me Stranded on welfare, another broken family Now what was I to be, a product of this heated pa*sion Momma got pregnant and poppa got a piece of a*s Look how it began, nobody gave a f**k about me Pistol in my hand, this cruel world can do without me How can I survive? Got me askin' white Jesus Will a nigga live or die? 'Cause the Lord can't see us In the deep dark clouds of the projects, ain't no sunshine No sunny days and we only play sometimes When everybody's sleepin' I open my window, jump to the streets and get to creepin' I can live or die, hope I get some money before I'm gone I'm only 19, I'm tryin' to hustle on my own On the spot where everybody and they pops tryin' to slang rocks I'd rather go to college, but this is where the game stops Don't get it wrong 'cause it's always on, from dusk to dawn You can buy rocks, glocks or a herringbone You can ask my man, he's a mind reader, keep my nine heater All the time this is how we grind Meet up at the cemetary then get smoked out, pa*s the weed, nigga That Hennessey'll keep me keyed, nigga Everywhere I go, niggaz holla at me, keep it real G And my reply 'til they kill me Act up if you feel me, I was born not to make it but I did The tribulations of a ghetto kid, still I rise Still I rise Please give me to the sky And if I die I don't want you to cry I stay sharp as always Runnin' ya bricks with blitz, through ya 'Project Hallways' Dumpin' crews like two's, nigga all day Secrets of war, prepare me for the worst A life that's lavish, full of cabbage or a life that's in a hearse But now my dreams, it seeems though Be placin, triple beams and things, bro Diamond pinkie ring, got the loot poppin' out my jeans Now I plan to keep my glock cocked If trouble was searchin' for me then why not? Show 'em what I'm made of plus raised on, on my block Chancellor Ave, where many turn to the streets Thugs snatchin bags, we out for power, makin' cash, it wasn't fast It'll make me mad, I'm just like, pimpin' My homey on the corner with his gat tucked in Youngest, they buckin' somethin', the life he leads The life he don't need, don't we all know He tryin' to rise up and we just go doe, still he rise Dreams of lost hope I hit the strip broke where the fiends get coke And still I rise now, I float, cowards ghost Whenever we come around, I'm runnin' down Clutchin' a pound, live as sirens, duckin' the sound I used to hustle with my moms 'til the sun came My homey harm, doin' time from this drug game Stolen cars, war scars, born a Outlaw Behind bars Go to sleep just to see the stars Freedom is ours, though we trapped on a firm block Crackheads only ten learn to duck cops In '96 my glock's, my plastic pa*sion for blastin' bastards No faces for open caskets, peelin' ya cap backwards Ya cowards, ain't prepared for pistol practice I send my missiles through your mattress Leavin' holes in your body like a cactus While me and my crew be boppin' more cream than toppin' And loot to keep the seams In my motherf**kin' jeans poppin Leavin' ya spleen to pick up Half of you niggaz is softer than a Snicker Let's go to war and see who draw quicker And still I rise, and still I rise Still I rise Please give me to the sky And if I die I don't want you to cry Still I rise Please give me to the sky And if I die I don't want you to cry Y'all niggaz are fake, all day, everyday So now I got roller blades, bitch Thought you knew, your mouth is rich C'mon, pops, let's go