Growing up I've seen a lot of shit in my time

I've seen hunger, hunger, pleasure, pain, violence and crime

I have learned from the mistakes of my friends that have died

And from those who have gone down in life that just never

tried

Life is just too short I realize that now

I'm gonna get my shit together and try to make it some how

Cause one thing that I have learned is that you only live once

So now I'll take life by the balls and squeeze until they crunch



Knowledge of the streets, a valuable tool

Type of education you can't get in school

Many hard times, losing friends, getting burned

Nobody to teach me, I just learned

A man like clay molded by his surroundings

He starts to take shape of the beating and the pounding

Assembly line that I've been through

A hard motherfucker with a bad attidude

Maybe its just the times we live in

Maybe its just urban discipline



The ways of urban life are not as they seem

Standing up and fighting is what living here means

In order to survive you've got to earn your respect

The only lessons that you learn are from things that you regret



Lead



Verse II



Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens

Standing up and fighting is what living here means

In order to survive you've got to earn your respect

The only lessons that you learn are from things that you regret