Little Ghetto Boy (feat. Black Thought)

My grandmother suits was tailor made, Sundays Mahalia played

Simple familiar ways, like how she kneeled and prayed

Willin', master forgive us, our trust pastors had us real afraid

I never listened yet I still obeyed

I got to see how Philly played at such an early age

What my father was into sent him to his early grave

Then moms started chasin' that base, like Willie Mays

My childhood was all of 40 nights and 40 days

Trouble was my ball and chain, shorties would call me names

Humble beginnings but a star is what it all became

My journey from a dirty hallway, to the hall of fame

Music my therapeutic way to cope with all this pain

Was headed for the drain, soakin' before the rainwater came

And chaos, into the order came

I started doin' what I'm 'sposed to do in life

Tryina move out of the dark, and closer to the light

They say if you get a chance to do it, overdo it right

Tomorrow isn't promised every time, you say goodnight

You know what I'm talking 'bout

Story of a little ghetto boy, check it out

Little ghetto boy

Playin in the ghetto street

What you gonna do when you grow

And have to face responsibility

Will you spend your days and nights in a pool room

Will you sell caps of madness, to the neighborhood

Little ghetto boy

You already know, how rough life could be

Hard to see, so much pain and misery, yeah, yeah

Little ghetto boy, yeah

Your daddy was blown away

He robbed that grocery store, yeah

Don't you know that was a sad, sad day

All your young life you've seen such misery and pain

The world's a cruel place to live in, it ain't gonna change, yeah

You're so young, and you've got so far to go

Don't think you'll reach your goal young man

Talkin 'bout the ghetto boy

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, little ghetto boy

When, when you become a man, yeah

You can make things change

Oh, if you just take a stand, yeah, yeah

You've got to believe in yourself, in all that you do

You've got to fight to make it better, better

And you will see, that others will start believin' too

Then my son, things will start to get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Don't you know it's gonna get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Got to believe that everything

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Everything has got to get better

Little ghetto boy