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 streetlight   
 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?