Ghetto of the Mind...
I catch a body at a party, sort of herbal with the verbal
Look above and see the vultures fly around in a circle
Baggin` while you`re lollygaggin`, raggin`, tow-taggin`
Assassin with the millimeter roars of a dragon
Here stood the black hood, thirsty for the end
And for the love of money, kind of funny, new friends
Public housing, a thousand in a tent
So I`m forced to sell hell just to pay the rent
Killin` my own people, I put `em out of order
Just like the liquor store scene on every corner
I`m tryin` but the kids keep cryin`, and the bullets keep flyin`
Look, a boy, he`s on the curb just dyin`
Finally the cops come dumb to the slum
Pull out a gun and arrest the wrong one
Wax all the Puerto Ricans and blacks
So they can never relax
I dwell, might as well learn the facts
Pete Rock and C.L. can radio a shack up
Sparkin` off and have `em all callin` for backup
Watch another crime and you`re gonna do time
All this you`ll find in the ghettos of the mind
Ain`t that somethin`?...
Listen to cats and rough rats war under the window
When the ghetto forts flarey, never was a Tom and Jerry
Livin` ain`t cheap, my survival is deep
In this part of town where the city never sleep
A Barney Miller roller, you can bet the car`s stolen
Or static with your BM, only when you see them
Speakin` on your baby`s mom, a best for the drama
Always tryin` to make a movie, little stark-ravin` looney
Stressin` it, but you know the ghetto keep ya busy
A place that when I die it would never even miss me
Crack phials in the aisles as one pimp smiles
Dope piles workin` hookers by the miles
But still my pop`s got three jobs to stable
A family household and food on the table
So as we pray for all our souls to keep
Somebody`s on the project roof, ready to leap
I want to stop the pain or the bad situation
But backwards wisdom I can`t afford to give `em
Self savior is much braver with the conscious behavior
Designed in the ghettos of the mind
Ain`t that somethin`? C`mon...
It`s like that y`all...
I could never look forward to an early retirement
But still I maintain in a hostile environment
Hustlin` the concrete jungle for loot
My parents hated blood money so they gave me the boot
Take a risk `cause the peer pressure has the edge
It was a blessin` when I saw my life dangle on the ledge
The streets coulda swallowed me whole
But the pain was all gone when I got to see my healthy son born
And now I bring him home to the ghetto,
Only to make a stronger fellow
Maybe do some good for the neighborhood
It`s hard playing hero livin` less than a zero
Raging Bull like DeNiro, the modern day pharoah
A concentration camp with the Section 8
Welfare checks given at a monthly rate
Apply for the get high, or just plain lazy
Many steady collect right around the fifth baby
The hawk is out but the niggaz never pack it
A hundred dollar sneakers with the skimpy-ass jacket
When people are deaf, dumb, and blind they get left behind
Imagine in the ghettos of the mind