Talking bout the ghetto funky funky ghetto
 Trying to survive, trying to stay alive

 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Talking bout the ghetto)
 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Funk funky ghetto)

 Even though the streets are bumpy, lights burned out
 Dope fiends die with a pipe in their mouths
 Old school buddies not doing it right
 Every day it's the same
 And it's the same every night
 I wouldn't shoot you bro but I'd shoot that fool
 If he played me close and tried to test my cool
 Every day I wonder just how I'll die
 Only thing I know is how to survive
 There's only [bad word] in the real world
 And that's to take care of you, only you and yours
 Keep dealing with the hard times day after day
 Might deal me some dope but then crime don't pay
 Black man tried to break into my house again
 Thought he got off early doing time in the pen
 Even though my brothers do me just like that
 I get a lot of love so I'm giving it back to the

 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Talking bout the ghetto)
 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Funk funky ghetto)

 So just peep the game and don't call it [bad word]  'Cause to me, life is one hard rap
 Even though my sister smoked crack cocaine
 She was nine months pregnant, ain't nothing changed
 600 Million on a football team
 And her baby dies just like a dope fiend
 The story I tell is so [bad word]  Five kids in the house and no food to eat
 Don't look at me and don't ask me why
 Mama's next door getting high
 Even though she's got five mouths to feed
 She's rather spend her money on a h-i-t
 I always tell the [bad word] about things like this
 I wonder if the mayor overlooked that list
 Instead of adding to the task force send some help
 Waiting on him I'd better help myself
 Housing authority and the O.P. All these guns just to handle me in the

 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Talking bout the ghetto)
 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Funk funky ghetto)

 Even though they put us down and call us animals
 We make real big banks and buy brand new clothes
 Drive fancy cars, make love to stars
 Never really saying just who we are
 We use alias names like too $hort
 Sell you stuff you might kill for
 Young kids grow up and that's all they know
 Didn't teach him in school now he's slangin dope
 Only thing he knows is how to survive
 But will he kill another brother before he dies?
 In the ghetto, you keep one eye open
 All day long, just hoping and hoping
 You can pay your bills and not drink too much
 Then the problems of life you'll be throwing up
 Like me, but you don't see
 Ten years from now, where will you be?

 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Talking bout the ghetto)
 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Funk funky ghetto)

 So much game in a too $hort rap
 Blacks can't be white and whites can't be black
 Why you wanna act like someone else?
 All you gotta do is just be yourself
 We're all the same color underneath
 Short dog's in the house you'd better listen to me
 Never be ashamed of what you are
 Proud to be black stand tall at heart
 Even though some people give you no respect
 Be intelligent, when you put em in check
 Cause when you're ignorant, you get treated that way
 And when they throw you in jail you got nothing to say
 So if you don't listen it's not my fault
 I'll be getting paid while you'll be paying the cost
 Sitting in the [bad word] your mouth
 While me and my peoples try to get out

 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Talking bout the ghetto)
 The ghetto
 The ghetto
 (Funk funky ghetto)