[Intro: Master P]
Picture this
Any man that hustle 'cause he like to is a fool
Any man that hustle 'cause he got to feed his family
Then that's a real man
You see, I hustle 'cause I gotta feed my family
I got families to feed
I gotta feed my mama
I gotta feed big mama
I gotta feed my cousin
I gotta feed my lil' brother
I gotta feed my sister
I gotta feed my kids
I gotta feed my people

[Chorus]
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to survive
And I know I'm gonna hustle until the day I die (Uhh)

[Verse 1: Master P]
This the black rain from the moon and this the tears in God's eyes
See, that's the way I felt when my lil' brother died
And some fools say it ain't no justice
And other n***as say it ain't no peace
That's why thugs handle they business in these projects and on these streets
See, my daddy made me a dealer, and my cousin made me a killer
See, that's why everything we do, they gon' respect us and feel us
And I'm still tryin' to understand why big daddy was put to rest
And my nephew last counted at only fourteen died in a car wreck
It ain't no motherfuckin' antidote for crack or AIDS
And why so many ghetto people in the jail live they life and die like slaves
I got a relative on appeal doin' twenty-five flat
Armed murder, armed robbery, n***a, fuck it, Johnnie Cochrans can't fight that
And since I'm Black and I'm rich, they seem to overlook us
Me and Boz bought some first-class tickets, they called the police, tried to book us
Ain't that a bitch? I done made millions and I'm still goin' through a thang
That's why n***as ask me, "P, why the fuck you never change?"
[Chorus]
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to survive
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to stay alive
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to survive
And I know I'm gonna hustle until the day I die

[Verse 2: Silkk The Shocker]
It's like either I'm rich or poor
I know I'm put in this world to slang dope
It's like the world is changin', I know
Seem like it's changed as I grow
I thank God for my big brother
'Cause without him, I know I never would've made it through
So if life on line, put it all up for him
You know what I'm sayin'? I put that shit on TRU
The ghetto life got me caught up, see nothin' but broken dreams
Like the ghetto's a trap, and I see nothin' but crack, dope, and fiends
My homie never did no crime, but still there lyin' up in a hearse
That's why I thank God for the lead I got, 'cause I'm knowin' that my times could be worse
You ever feel like you was swimming, but you really was drownin'?
You ain't wanna smile, but you pretend to smile 'cause everybody around you seem to be clownin'?
I'd trade my life if it could make the world better
Trade everything I got including my life to bring back my brother Kevin
See, I spit the realest shit
Try to make y'all feel this shit
While y'all pointin' the finger on the outside lookin' in
I'm in the middle of the bricks livin' in the shit
C could tell you we always wanted to ride Benzes, but we had to ride buckets
Mom wanted the better things in life for me, but private school was way past our budget
So am I happy 'cause I'm smilin'? I'm just camouflagin' my problems
See, the only way I can even really solve 'em is I grab the revolver
So I grabbed it and I cocked it, I was gon' pop it
But I stopped, 'cause I forgot I was rich
What about everybody who not rich?
Every month, so close to not havin' no profits
My homie who hustle, I told him stop, but how can I really knock it?
Everybody who died up in the game and everybody who tryin' to maintain
Even though I'm one foot out the ghetto, close my eyes and I can still see the pain
Sometimes, I just get fed up
To all my soldiers worldwide, I know it's hard, but try
Keep y'all head up
[Chorus]
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to stay alive
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to survive
And I know I'm gonna hustle until the day I die
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to survive
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to stay alive
The ghetto's got me hustlin' tryin' to survive
And I know I'm gonna hustle until the day I die