{crying of new born child}

[Intro :2Pac] {faint sound}
From the cradle to the grave
From the cradle to the grave
From the cradle to the grave
From the cradle to the grave

[Verse 1: 2Pac]
June 16th, 1971
Mama gave birth to a Hell-raising heavenly son
See the doctor tried to smack me but I smacked him back
My first words was, "Thug for life" and "Papa, pass the MAC"
I'm busting on these motherfuckers balling
Listen you can hear my mini fourteen calling
From out the window of my drop top, I got my Glock cocked
Busting at n***as, when will it stop?
Now tell me are you scared of the dark? Can't close my eyes I see visions
And even with this thug living will I escape prison?
Penitentiary chances was an all day thang
The only way to advance; and if you slang
Then you'd better have yo' Nikes on
Cause when we fight it's in the middle of the night with no lights on, hey!!
There must be a God cause I feel lucky
Paranoid out my mind cause motherfuckers tryna rush me
Am I going to jail? Look at me bailing
Coming out the court house, all about my mail and bank
Never, never die I'll be a hustler, motherfuckers
And making thugs out you suckers from the cradle to the grave
[Hook]
Things wouldn't have been so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'
Things..

[Verse 2: Mopreme]
From the cradle to the grave since a little bitty child
I've been known to get ill and kinda buck wild
Pop pop! Just like the part that's in my walk with street talk
I'm running up the block in the dark where lead spark
Surveillance on a n***a every day
Waiting on my daddy just to take his ass away
Now Mama always working tryna make ends meet
So now a young n***a's being raised by the streets
And then the only other one that ever showed me love
Was my dope fiend uncle strung out on drugs
A straight thug, just me, my mama out here on our own
So I got two gats,one black and one of chrome
Now I don't wanna hurt nobody but I must defend mine!
It's all the fuck I got, so stop and walk a thin line
Young n***as be brave
And keep on thugging from the cradle to the grave
From the cradle to the grave

[Hook]
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'
[Verse 3: The Rated R]
From the cradle to the grave, I'm glad to say, I made it this far
Many G's died hogs and all they got was they name hit up on a wall
It's sad thinking about the times
Life goes on, I'm steady lost in this land
That's the war zone, I gots no home, don't have no friends neither
It's just me by my lonely so I married my Nina
I keeps her wherever I go, I love my ho
Never leave home with out my sugar, I'm have to plug a n***a
Mama told me not to trust no punks
And kick his ass if he lay a hand on me since then I been knowing
Sometimes I think my own self stupid
Cause I stay shooting at marks, get twisted up in police reports
Since the cradle, I've been ungrateful
My first toy was a gun I got sprung and learned to love weapons
But now I'm through with money, and through with street fame
Somebody peeled my cap, and put me in my grave

[Hook]
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'
Things..

[Verse 4: Macadoshis]
March 18th, a rainy day my mama gave birth
To a baby boy trapped in hell on Earth
From day one it wasn't fun I never had a crumb
Daddy worked two jobs and Mama won't stop drinkin' rum
I tried to cope loc, but my family's broke
And my pocket's short so now I got ta slang dope
In the game filled with pain it's a fuckin' shame
The white man got a motherfucker slangin' 'caine
So now it's on from dusk to dawn I'm gettin' my serve on
Always in the spot with my Glock slingin' rocks at the Rox
The shit don't stop, I'm steady dodgin' cops
I never flip-flop, hear my Glock cock, thug 'til I drop
And if I hit the pen I gotta do my time
Sittin' on my bunk reminiscin' bout the good times
It's fucked up a n***a gotta grow up doin' dirt
But from the cradle to the grave I'mma put in work
[Hook]
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

[Verse 5: Big Syke]
Time's movin' fast, will I last another day?
So I pray and I lay with my A-K
Did I sell my soul as a young kid?
All the things I did wishin' someone held me but they never did
I can't take it, will I make it to my older age?
Before I'm shot up or locked up in a fuckin' cage
Lord help me, guide me, save me!
Cause that's the way that Daddy raised me, crazy
Do or die, n***a pull the trigger don't give a fuck
You'd rather be in jail than get yo' ass bucked
Nobody cares, it's me against the world
Keepin' murder on my mind and my Tec-9
I got nothin' to lose, payin' dues, n***a you wanna die?
I get high and then my mission is a walk-by
You'd better jet when I hit your set cause I'm comin'
Start runnin' yellin' "evil mind" as I'm gunnin'
One in the chamber for the anger that I build inside
For the mothers that cried, for my homies that died
The beginning is an ending, am I just a slave?
So I got to be brave from the cradle to the grave

[Hook + Outro]
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
Awww ([?] never [?]) from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' (awww)
Things wouldn't be so bad
If we got the thangs that we never had
Give up some times to come up [] something

{crying of new born child}