[00:20.49]Nineteen-ninety-eight, damn I can't believe it
[00:22.80]Whoever thought, throughout the drama, we'd live to see it
[00:25.43]So many of us done lost lives to the streets
[00:27.70]As we reminisce I'm pourin liquor for the deceased
[00:29.95]Thinkin bout the times that I spent with many of em
[00:32.65]Hopin that the Lord let me see the millenium
[00:34.86]Trapped in this ghetto main, seekin better days
[00:37.20]Fightin for my conscience, tryin to shake these wicked ways
[00:39.89]I know it's wrong but it's hard to change
[00:41.86]All my life, all I ever knew was hustle and game
[00:44.48]Lookin for answers ever since I was a adolescent
[00:46.95]Faced with rejection, early age stressin
[00:49.22]But now ten years later with doodoo respect
[00:51.46]I'm bustin million dollar raps and six digit checks
[00:53.90]Showin love to my peeps and my love don't change
[00:58.88]Might sound strange, but I just can't run away
[01:05.90]I can't run, run, it might sound strange
[01:10.71]but I just can't run away
[01:15.29]I can't run, no, run away
[01:18.81]Touch a meal ticket, shake a spot for good
[01:20.93]Never, I still got love for the neighborhood
[01:23.31]And even though now it's infested with gunplay
[01:25.73]on most days like Bootsy I can't stay away
[01:28.15]Cause if I shook like y'all shook on me
[01:30.30]Then whose gon' stay and guide the way for the lil homies?
[01:33.14]I can't turn my head on my folks
[01:35.18]so I stay visible in these streets and try to give hope
[01:37.66]Born in the ghetto, raised in the ghetto
[01:39.98]Got love for the ghetto, I can't forget the ghetto
[01:42.34]How come everytime we get some change in our can
[01:44.66]we run away and try to move out as far as we can
[01:47.60]I know that jealousy's the devil's greed but you worse
[01:49.61]than a devil when you turn your back on these young G's
[01:52.48]Now feel every word that I say, hear my cry
[01:54.26]as I struggle out of thirst and search for better days
[01:56.82]Might sound strange, but I just can't run away
[02:03.69]I can't run, run, run away
[02:08.49]Said I just can't run away
[02:12.50]I can't run, run, run away
[02:18.29]No I just can't run away
[02:23.09]I can't run, run, runnnnnn away
[02:27.05]Another day another dollar, it feels good to look around
[02:29.23]and see I'm surrounded by real riders
[02:30.92]Childhood comrades I ran with for years
[02:33.07]Shared the same beer and tears over the same peers
[02:35.61]Player haters swearin that all we all G's
[02:37.89]off each others strength with these, regulates the same cheese
[02:40.41]No jealousy we all family like Sister Sledge
[02:42.95]Lace each other with game, so I can spin beer cans
[02:45.35]Watch our kids grow together, as we get old together
[02:47.96]Loc I mean this, let no one come in between this
[02:50.28]Keep our business among us, behind doors and eyes closed
[02:53.23]on those we consider as foes
[02:54.88]Outsiders never exposed to your hustle
[02:56.96]Plus I'm, never been one likely to trust em
[02:59.85]No negative association, just dedication
[03:02.26]to watch our paper sprout like this bud mutation
[03:04.59]Might sound strange, but I just can't run away
[03:11.44]I can't run, run, run away
[03:16.22]No I just can't run away
[03:21.04]I can't run, I can't runnnnnnn away
[03:25.92]No I just can't run away
[03:30.69]I can't run run run run runnnnnn away
[03:35.66]