You know, my homey treach from naughty by nature once said"If you ain't from the ghetto, don't come to the ****in' ghetto" But I'ma let one of our most immaculate tour guides Take us all through the ghetto, my nigga, Rick James 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 o, 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 life(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life)(In the ghetto) Sure we be takin' them chances while we search for the answers We be smokin' them cancer sticks, police provokin' muhtha****ers 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(Talkin 'bout ghetto life) Ghetto life(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life) You all know what I'm singin' 'bout(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life) Ghetto life(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life)(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 burn out cellys, talk crazy, sell drugs in front of Pancho Deli Crack head 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(Talkin 'bout ghetto life) Ghetto life(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life) You all know what I'm singin' 'bout(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life) Ghetto life(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life) 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(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 Is where, all of the hood's at(In the ghetto) 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, come on(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 life(Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, in the ghetto) Never mind who you thought I wasI'm Rick James, bitch Cocaine is a hell of a drug