in the ghetto
You know, my homey Treach from Naughty By Nature once said
If you ain't from the ghetto, don't come to the fucking ghetto
But I'mma let one of our most immaculate tour guides
Take us all through the ghetto - my nigga Rick James!
 + (backup singers)
When I was a young boy, growing up in the ghetto!
Hanging out on corners, singing with the fellas
Looking for the cute chicks, trying to find me big fun
Looking for some trouble, or anyone who'll give me some
I was young and crazy! (In the ghetto)
Didn't know what my life would be (In the ghetto)
I was dumb and oh so lazy (In the ghetto)
Something had a spell on me (In the ghetto)
You all know what I'm talking about (Talking about ghetto life)
(Talking about ghetto life)
You all know what I'm singing about (Talking about ghetto life)
Ghetto life (Talking about ghetto life)
(In the ghetto) Sure we be taking them chances
While we search for the answers we be smoking them cancer sticks
Police provoking motherfuckers we dancing
And we be dodging them bullets they be popping off at us, shit
But yet we always romance the street
And fall in love with the hood until somebody come blast the heat
Always up to no good, so all of my fam could eat
See in the hood we hungry - hey nigga we playing for keeps
My soldiers on the block get on it
It be good if you flaunt it, we will take if we want it
See niggas from the ghetto got a different state of mind
With a different kind of hustle and we iller with the grind
And develop our muscle until we sicker with the shine
In the struggle, thus our money come quicker doing crime
I see the way we rep the hood, gotta love me
You can take me out the ghetto, but you can't take it from me
Gotta love it
 + (backup singers)
(Talkin about ghetto life)
Ghetto life (Talking about ghetto life)
You all know what I'm singing about (Talkin about ghetto life)
Ghetto life (Talking about ghetto life)
(In the ghetto) That's where we get into that street shit
Hustle hard, try to get money quick (In the ghetto)
That's where I got my name from
I learned to get money and I got all my game from (In the ghetto)
That's where you eat with a bunch of the wolves
And get to hustling as hard as you could (In the ghetto)
Until your cake stacking shit'll get good
Throw a block party for the whole hood (In the ghetto)
With them burnout cellys
Talk crazy, sell drugs in front of Pancho Deli
Crackhead chicks still smuggle babies in they belly
And then piss in elevators 'til the lobby all smelly (In the ghetto)
That's where I keep my ratchets
Get my instincts and survival tactics
Ain't nothing like the hood nigga, I don't care
You surviving in the ghetto you can make it anywhere
Gotta love it
To my East coast niggas - rep your ghetto
West coast niggas - rep your ghetto
Midwest niggas - rep your ghetto
Down South niggas - rep your ghetto
To my East coast niggas - rep your ghetto
West coast niggas - rep your ghetto
Midwest niggas - rep your ghetto
To my Dirty South niggas - rep your ghetto
(In the ghetto) Even though they act rude
You'll always find a good chick to hold a brick for they dude
Behind the bullshit, me and my clique on the move
We honor the code of the street, and live by the rules (In the ghetto)
Is where, all of the hood's at
Find the most crooks and they sell the most drugs at
Where you find beautiful women and rugrats
And some of the most powerful people, I love that!
Come mon
 + (backup singers)
(Talking about ghetto life)
You all know what I'm talking about (Talking about ghetto life)
(Talkin about ghetto life)
You all know what I'm singing about (Talking about ghetto life)
Ghetto life (Talking about ghetto life)
(In the ghetto)
"Never mind who you thought I was, I'm Rick James BITCH!" {*applause*}
"Cocaine is a hell of a drug"