As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at my life, and realize there's nothin' left 'Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long That even my momma 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 talkin' and where you walkin' 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 the little homies wanna be like On my knees in the night, sayin' prayers in the streetlight Been spendin' most their lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Been spendin' most their lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Look at the situation they got me facin' 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 watchin' got me chasin' dreams I'm a 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 nothin' but a heart beat away I'm livin' life do or die, 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? Been spendin' most their lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Been spendin' most their lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives livin' in the gangsta'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 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 frontin', that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool! Been spendin' most their lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Been spendin' most their lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise Keep spendin' most our lives livin' in the 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? Very good!