[Produced by DJ Green Lantern & Dr. Dre (ad.)]
[Intro: Busta Rhymes]
Uh, y'know, this time as we circle around the block
Since we travel through the hood, y'nahmean?
This time I had to pick up one of my homies
To help me tour guide you again through the hood, my n***a Luda!
[Verse 1: Rick James | Busta Rhymes]
When I was a young boy (Remix!), growin' up in the ghetto (Remix!)
Hangin' out on corners (Remix!), singin' with the fellas (Remix!)
Lookin' for the cute chicks (Flipmode, bitch), tryin' to find me big fun (DTP)
Lookin' for some trouble (Yeah, yeah) or anyone who'll give me some (Here we go!)
I was young and crazy! (In the ghetto, remix)
Didn't know what my life would be (In the ghetto, remix)
I was dumb and, oh, so lazy (In the ghetto, remix)
Something had a spell on me (In the ghetto, remix), you all know what I'm talkin' 'bout
[Hook: Rick James | Busta Rhymes]
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life (And as we continue on)
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm singin' 'bout
(We gon' continue to travel through every ghetto, through every part of this motherfuckin' planet! Ya heard?)
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life!
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life (In the ghetto, let's go!)
[Verse 2: Busta Rhymes]
Crackheads all over the places
Where babies stockpile dry boogers on they face
Where they mother put spit up on they finger wipin' it off
Or put a knife to the skin of a fruit slicin' it off
Where younger kids be lookin' at the older man funny
Like he triflin', recyclin' soda can money
Where n***as ball now and youngins try to ball later
While they hustle, muzzle 'em, sellin' a final call paper
For the perm, when you see the Black hair natural
Crackhead'll off a n***a's head for a capsule
Find a lot of good game, a lot of hood fame
Police know a lot of n***as by they first name
Experience your first struggle and you'll see your first pain
Get your first drug money, it'll be your first chain
Now, and even when it look like shit is getting worse
Up in the ghetto, regardless, see, I'ma rep the hood first, gotta love it
[Hook: Rick James | Ludacris | Busta Rhymes]
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm singin' 'bout
(Remix, yo, we know about that ghetto life, remix)
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life! (Luda!)
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life (In the ghetto, Check it out, look!)
[Verse 3: Ludacris]
That ghetto life sure is drastic!
All the furniture's covered in plastic
Hand-me-down brothers with past clothes
Milk crates as basketball goals
Lil' kids go to sleep for dinner!
Use hangers as TV antennas
We drink Kool-Aid without the water
And most kids is without they father
Use pots and pans for roof leaks
Crackheads with average two teeth
Tell grandmama to stay strong
The ambulance is takin' too long
Lil' babies out playin' in the street!
Use the oven and stove as heat!
A lot of chest and belly scars
And we gotta drink out of jelly jars when
[Hook: Rick James]
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)
[Verse 4: Busta Rhymes | Ludacris]
Look, see, the shit so simple
Kids watch what we do with the project windows
Sellin' drugs on the strip, hopin' that your chips grow
Hangin' clothes on the line, hopin' that the wind blow
To dry that shit off, you know that it ain't really that
Gotta save money for that food, fuck the laundromat
Despite the struggle and all, no matter how the thing pop
Forever reppin' the ghetto, can't stop, won't stop
Yeah! Playin' hide-and-go-seek don't seem right
Playin' red light, green light (In the ghetto)
You get beat with extention cords
And all the cops got friends of yours (In the ghetto)
Whatchamacallit, thingamajigs
What's-her-face and what's-her-name is up (In the ghetto)
No heat, so you shiver up
And the pizza man don't deliver up (In the ghetto)
[Hook: Rick James]
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm talkin' 'bout
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)
[Outro: Rick James]
Never mind who you thought I was, I'm Rick James, bitch! (*applause*)