As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at my life And realize there's nothing left 'Cause I've been brassing and laughing so long That even my momma thinks that my mind has 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 ya talking And where ya 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 homie's wanna be like On my knees in the night Saying prayers in the street light Been spending most their lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Been spending most their lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Look at the situation they got me facing I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the street 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 ten 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 twenty-three now, will I live to see twenty-four? The way things is going I don't know Tell me why are we so blind to see That the ones we hurt are you and me? Been spending most their lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Been spending most their lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives Living in a 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 It's going on in the kitchen But I don't know what's cooking They say I gotta 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 Been spending most their lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Been spending most their lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Keep spending most our lives Living in a gangsta's paradise Tell me why are we so blind to see That the ones we hurt are you and me Tell me why are we so blind to see That the ones we hurt are you and me?