[Verse 1: MC Eiht]
I got another gang story to tell, peep
About how a Black n***a was born in hell
And right then and there it's no hope
'Cause a n***a can't escape the gangs and the dope, damn
And when it's black on black, that makes it shitty
Can't survive in the Compton city
And fool let's bet
'Cause when you grow up in the hood, you gots to claim a set
Geah, it's not that you want to but you have to
Don't be a mark 'cause n***as might laugh you
Straight off the motherfuckin' block
Can't deal with bustas so they asses get clocked, geah
Who gives a fuck about another?
Only got love for my fuckin' gang brothers, geah
But I'm young so nobody would wonder
That the hood would take me under

[Chorus]
"Always strapped and eager to peel a cap"
"The hood done took me under"
"Always strapped and eager to peel a cap"
"The hood done took me under"

[Verse 2: MC Eiht]
Now I'm a few ages older
Got hair on my nuts and I'm a little bit bolder
And puttin' in work, I has to do my fuckin' part
I'm down for the hood and it's planted in the heart, fool
At school slappin' on the girls asses
Fuck the white education so I skip a lot of classes
'Cause ain't no teaching a n***a white reality
Teach me the motherfuckin' gang mentality
Pop, pop, pop drops the sucker
If he's from another hood I gots to shoot the motherfucker
Geah, I'm in it to win it and can't quit
Fool, and ready die for this shit
One-times can't fade the gang tough
Putting my foot in your ass to make times rough
I'm the neighborhood terror but I never wondered
That the hood would take me under
[Chorus]
"Always strapped and eager to peel a cap"
"The hood done took me under"
"Always strapped and eager to peel a cap"
"The hood done took me under"
"Police is hot but I'm watching my back"
"The hood done took me under"
"Police is hot but I'm watching my back"
"The hood done took me under"

[Verse 3: MC Eiht]
I guess I'll watch my back 'cause n***as jeffin'
Times heard this brother pulled a 1-87
Who I thought was my homie dropped the dime
So I gotta peel his cap with the .9
Fool, if it's on then it's on, fuck it, G
Because how the odds are looking, fool, it's either him or me
So I loads up the strap and I step
'Cause my brain cells are dead and all I think is death
Revenge, geah, that's what it's all about
See the sucker, take the motherfucker out
Stare the fool down with the eye contact
He try to swing so I draw on him with the gat
Blast was the sound that one-times heard-a
N***a, twenty-five to life for the murder
Was it worth it I've always wondered
Maybe if the hood didn't take me under
[Outro: MC Eiht]
Geah, this going out to all the n***as
It's going out to my n***as
It's going out to all the n***as
My n***a Mike T made it
Geah, mmm