As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at my life and realize there's not much left Coz I've been blastin and laughin so long, that Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone Nut I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it He 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 be lined in chalk I really hate to trip but i gotta, loc As I Grow I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be like On my knees in the night, saying prayers in the streetlight We've been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We've been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise They got the situation, they got me facin' 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 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye I'm a loc'd out 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 23 now, but will I live to see 24 The way things are going I don't know Tell me why are we, so blind to see That the one's we hurt, are you and me We've been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We've been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise 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 kickin' They say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me If they can't undersstand it, 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 We've been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We've been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise Tell me why are we, so blind to see That the one's we hurt, are you and me Tell me why are we, so blind to see That the one's we hurt, are you and me