Verse One:
Started at the bottom, in the back,
Where them hoodlums be,
Taught to make my living
The only way that they left for me;
From slanging to robbery,
Doing a shop lifting spree,
Getting locked up,
Over a kitchen knife at seventeen;
Life is nothing what I dreamed,
When I use to be a kid,
Planning to be a doctor
But was hopeless in homelessness;
Watching how the other kids
Had their families tuck them in
Still had my pride,
So when they waved, I just gave a grin;
Committing sin after sin,
Cause my belly's em-pty,
I asked God forgiveness
All those days, that I stole to eat;
Young Black boy lost to the streets,
Didn't see no where to go,
Survival's my mission
That's why my mission's so critical;
Looked at like a criminal,
Lifted noses looking down,
Heartless embraces by smiling faces
Say I'm hell bound;
But still I won't wear a frown,
Or hate like they do to me,
I know what I'm worth
And what I'm worth, they can't take from me.

Chorus:
Raised up hood for life
It will always be a part of me,
Do it for the roses
Trying to break, through the concrete;
You can always catch me
On the block, with my family,
Struggling to survive
Day and night, trying to get us free.

Verse Two:
I say this with sincerity,
Realness is a rarity,
People be so fake, they can break
With no gravity;
Caught up in their vanity,
Caring none for family,
Do, what you do, fuck you
Is what they say to me;
I'm not lacking bravery,
I don't need your sympathy
Raised to be a man, watch me stand
On my own two feet;
I was taught respect the street,
Hustling nights I couldn't sleep,
Dreaming of the day, I can pay
My own salary;
Charged up like a battery,
See how bright my future be,
Seeing past the dread, in my head
Like Bob Marley;
Determined and ballsy,
Call it how I see it G,
Looking for the answers
When the answers are inside of me;
Breaking down the chemistry,
Creating new energy,
Combining molecules in the pools
Of my psyche;
Now I see reality,
Skipping the formality,
Getting to the bottom got to solve 'em
It's my destiny.

Chorus:
Raised up hood for life
It will always be a part of me,
Do it for the roses
Trying to break, through the concrete;
You can always catch me
On the block, with my family,
Struggling to survive
Day and night, trying to get us free.

Verse Three:
Going through insanity,
Trying to find the man in me
My momma thinks I'm useless
Make excuses to think bad of me;
All I ever want to be,
Is successfully happy
Can't be myself, I'll get locked up
They don't want me free;
Trapped inside disparity,
Broken with no fear in me
They want to see me die,
So my life, is revenge to me;
Trying to keep my clarity,
So I take a puff or three
Hold in what's left, till my last breath
Ain't no stopping me;
Haters filled with jealousy,
Wishing that they let me be,
Lacking real ambition so their mission
Is to worry me;
But they'll never worry me
Lyrics are my therapy,
Pushing through the madness
Getting past this like it's history;
Knowing it's no mystery,
Why they hate to see me breath,
They don't believe, there's anything better
Than what they see;
I disagree thoroughly,
They don't know what's best for me,
Trying kill my spirit, cause they fear it
In the first-degree.

Chorus:
Raised up hood for life
It will always be a part of me,
Do it for the roses
Trying to break, through the concrete;
You can always catch me
On the block, with my family,
Struggling to survive
Day and night, trying to get us free.