[Busta Rhymes]
Y'know, my homey Treach from Naughty By Nature once said
If you ain't from the ghetto, don't COME to the fuckin ghetto
But I'ma let one of our most immaculate tour guides
take us ALL through the ghetto - my nigga Rick James!
[Rick James - sampled from "Ghetto Life" + (backup singers)]
When I was a young boy, growin up in the ghetto!
Hangin out on corners, singin with the fellas
Lookin for the cute chicks, tryin to find me big fun
Lookin for some trouble, or anyone who'll give me some
I was young and crazy! (In the ghetto)
Didn't know what my life would be (In the ghetto)
I was dumb and oh so lazy (In the ghetto)
Something had a spell on me (In the ghetto)
You all know what I'm talkin 'bout (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
(Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
You all know what I'm singin 'bout (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
Ghetto liiiiiiiiife (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
[Busta Rhymes]
(In the ghetto) Sure we be takin them chances
While we search for the answers we be smokin them cancer sticks
Police provokin muh'fuckers we dancin
And we be dodgin them bullets they be poppin off at us, shit
But yet we always romance the street
And fall in love with the hood 'til somebody come blast the heat
Always up to no good, so all of my fam could eat
See in the hood we hungry - hey nigga we playin for keeps
My soldiers on the block get on it
It be good if you flaunt it, we will take if we want it
See niggaz from the ghetto got a different state of mind
With a different kind of hustle and we iller with the grind
And develop our muscle 'til we sicker with the shine
In the struggle, thus our money come quicker doin crime
I see the way we rep the hood, gotta love me
You can take me out the ghetto, but you can't take it from me
Gotta love it
[Chorus: Rick James + (backup singers)]
(Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
Ghetto liiiiiiiiife (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
You all know what I'm singin 'bout (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
Ghetto liiiiiiiiife (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
[Busta Rhymes]
(In the ghetto) That's where we get into that street shit
Hustle hard, try to get money quick (In the ghetto)
That's where I got my name from
I learned to get money and I got all my game from (In the ghetto)
That's where you eat with a bunch of the wolves
And get to hustlin as hard as you could (In the ghetto)
Until your cake stackin shit'll get good
Throw a block party for the whole hood (In the ghetto)
With them burnout cellys
Talk crazy, sell drugs in front of Pancho Deli
Crackhead chicks still smuggle babies in they belly
And them piss in elevators 'til the lobby all smelly (In the ghetto)
That's where I keep my ratchets
Get my instincts and survival tactics
Ain't nuttin like the hood nigga, I don't care
You survivin in the ghetto you can make it anywhere
Gotta love it
[Chorus]
[Interlude: Busta Rhymes]
To my East coast niggaz - rep your ghetto
West coast niggaz - rep your ghetto
Midwest niggaz - rep your ghetto
Down South niggaz - rep your ghetto
To my East coast niggaz - rep your ghetto
West coast niggaz - rep your ghetto
Midwest niggaz - rep your ghetto
To my Dirty South niggaz - rep your ghetto
[Busta Rhymes]
(In the ghetto) Even though they act rude
You'll always find a good chick to hold a brick for they dude
Behind the bullshit, me and my clique on the move
We honor the code of the street, and live by the rules (In the ghetto)
Is where, all of the hood's at
Find the most crooks and they sell the most drugs at
Where you find beautiful women and rugrats
And some of the most powerful people, I love that!
C'mon
[Outro: Rick James + (backup singers)]
(Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
You all know what I'm talkin 'bout (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
(Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
You all know what I'm singin 'bout (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
Ghetto liiiiiiiiife (Talkin 'bout ghetto life)
(In the ghetto)
"Never mind who you thought I was, I'm Rick James BITCH!" [applause]
"Cocaine is a hell of a drug"