As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I take a look at my life and realize there's none left

'Cause I've been laughing and blasting so long that

Even my mamma thinks that my mind is gone

But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it

Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of

You better watch how you talking, and where you walking

Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk

I really hate to trip but I gotta loc

As they croak I see myself in the pistol smoke fool

I'm the kinda G that little homies want to be like

On my knees in the night, saying prayers in the street light

They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise

They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise

Keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise

Keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise

They got the situation, they got me facing

I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the streets

So I gotta be down with the hood team

Too much television watching got me chasing dreams

I'm a educated fool with money on my mind

Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye

I'm a loped out gangsta set trippin' banger

And my homies is down so gonna rouse my anger fool

Death ain't nothing but a heart beat away

I'm living life do or die, what can I say

I'm twenty-three never will I live to see twenty-four

The way things is going I don't know

So tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me

So tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me

They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise

They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise

They been spending most their lives living in the gangsta's paradise

They been spending most their 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 cooking

They say I've got to learn but nobody's here to teach me

If they can't understand 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

So tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me

So tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me

Keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise

Keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise

Keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise

Keep spending most our lives living in the gangsta's paradise

So tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me

So tell me why are we so blind to see

That the ones we hurt are you and me