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 blastin' and laughin' so long that even my mama 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're talkin' and where you're walkin'. Or you and your homies might be lyin' in chalk. I really hate to trip, but I gotta lope. As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool. I'm the kinda G that little homies wanna be like. On my knees in the night, sayin' prayers in the streetlight. We've been spending most our lives living in a gangster's paradise. Look at the situation they got me facin'. I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the state. So I gotta be damn with the hood team. Too much television watchin' got me chasin' dreams. I'm an educated fool with money on my mind. Got my ten in my hand and the gleam in my eye. I'm a loped out gangster set trippin' banker. And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger. Fool, death ain't nothin' but a heartbeat away. I'm livin' life through a dial. What can I say? I'm 23 now but will I live to see 24? The way things is goin' I don't know. Tell me why are we so blind to see that the ones we hurt are you and me? We've been spending most our lives living in a gangster's paradise. Power and the money, money and the power. Minute after minute, hour after hour. Everybody's runnin' but half of them ain't lookin'. It's goin' on in the kitchen but I don't know what's cookin'. They say I 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. We've been spending most our lives living in a gangster's paradise. Tell me why are we so blind to see that the ones we hurt are you and me? We've been spending most our lives living in a gangster's paradise.