(verse) Nino Bless

Situations arise I gotta stay focused I know this
Can't walk with a chip on a shoulder like somebody owe us
Shorty strapped with a 45th in this land of soldiers
Its either that or forfeit his manhood to the vultures
& mami's in the room screaming ..
"Ay carrajo ese Guliani un diablo"
But I ain't understand that shit til they threw forty hollow tips at Diallo
Wut followed, a blatent fix in the midst of satin's shadow
My fate, like the first time I was given a gun
In the wrong hands, thats a fact when you live in the slums
Drive by's, hit and runs, a child dies too often
N***as killing for funds cuz they grew up with poor sense
But when you poor cents is hard to come by
Liquor's still poured when sombody's son died
And it rains while we cry for god
Thats no response when {Times R Hard}

(Hook) Jay Life

But its cool and I won't let that bother me
Cause this what I'm goin do
Ain't no time for losing gotta keep it moving {times are hard}
Ain't nothing change, if all my kid's gonna be the same
Death is the only gurantee, gotta keep moving ain't not time for losing
(verse) Jay Life

Momma said what I'm working for
To prepare for a future that won't exist
And gods got his planning and he's watchin me
And I believe but its like she don't realize {times are hard}
And everytime I try and tell her that we ain't gotta live like this
She opens up the bible and tells me that
We living in the last days and thats why (times are hard)
And its like that I ain't trying to pay her no mind
But when these bills are due
This robber money don't line up with what the bills do
And what the bills so is contantly remind you that (times are hard)
And I got one shot to try and make something out of nothing
So when I work you can feel it, you can hear it
You can understand that times are hard

(Hook repeat)

(verse) Joe Budden

Look, I don't smoke stoges like I used to
I been in the hood with the coke users
O movers, dope abusers, cats that stole, boosters
Those shooters that load rugers, tote lugers
Hope here's useless, most losers just don't wanna juice us
Face-to-face with them won't see nothing worse
To be a has-been, you gotta be something first
They tell me time flies when you're having fun
But tends to drag when your having none
Get to grabbing a gun , jacking for funds
Bags and a blunt or continue to pray to Christ until the passion comes
I'm just bobbing and weaving with my back on the wall
Come from where I come from and you adapt to the war
I'm just a product of the environment that I am in
Where water's not vitamin, underdog trying to win (cheeeea)
(hook)