Madlib
Ode to the Ghetto (Alt. Version)
[Verse I]
From the land where they hustlin' hand to hand
And then the pigs rush in to jam your plans, yup
The ghetto, home where the sharks give loans
And if you don't pay, they'll break your bones
Old school whips on rims
Dope boys blowing through chips on Timbs
You could get rich if you grind substantial
And there's a lot of dudes that's prime examples, like
My old neighbor had gators, every flavor, raking that heavy paper
However, you get too rich the boys in blue investigate ya
He used to have lethal trees, but now it's just P.O's and legal fees
But he can't be mad, the police steal, he got charged for half
[Chorus]
I've traveled the world, did this and that
Been so many places but still come back
My ode to the, struggle, that hustle
I escaped through it
I've traveled the world, did this and that
Been so many places but still come back
My ode to the, where it ain't all fun
[Verse II]
We used to do so much for so little
Needy hands held out when the dough trickles
They gotta eat, and if not they, ain't scared of pop the heat
You get shot for dumb shit, but still I'm thankful
To see what I saw to get this angle
And understand, the cats don't give a fuck about another man
And the ones with the dough got the upper hand
It might not get your praise, but I love the hood where I was raised
It made me the person I am today
And a part of every word I say
So when I'm in spot with a blunt lit
With my homies from the hood that I run with
Dap me up and keep moving, shit
I pray for the fool that tryin' to play us on some child shit
[Chorus]
I've traveled the world, did this and that
Been so many places but still come back
My ode to the, struggle, that hustle
I escaped through it
I've traveled the world, did this and that
Been so many places but still come back
My ode to the, where it ain't all fun
[Outro]
The concrete jungle, the hood, the blocks
The late night shootouts, the weed, the rocks
The evil cops, the pimps, the whores
The drug wars, bloodshed galore
The concrete jungle, the hood, the blocks
The late night shootouts, the weed, the rocks
The evil cops, the pimps, the whores
The drug wars, bloodshed galore
In the ghetto