As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left Cause I've been blasting and laughing so long that Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it Maybe treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of You better watch how you're talking and where you're walking Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk I really hate to trip but I gotta look As they croak I see myself in the pistol smoke I'm the kind of cheetah little homies wanna be like On my knees in the night saying prayers in the streetlight Been spending most our lives living in a gangsta's paradise Look at the situation they got me facing I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the state So I gotta be down with the hood team Too much television watching got me chasing dreams I'm an educated fool with money on my mind Pac-11 in my hand and a gleam in my eye I'm a loped out gangsta, Zed tripping banger And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger Fool, death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away I'm living life to a die, what can I say I'm 23 now but will I live to see 24 The way things is going I don't know Tell me why are we so blind to see That the ones we hurt are you and me Been spending most our lives living in a gangsta's paradise Power and the money, money and the power Minute after minute, hour after hour Everybody's running but half of them ain't looking It's going on in the kitchen but I don't know what's cooking They say I got to learn but nobody's here to teach me If they can't understand it, how can they reach me I guess they can't, I guess they won't, I guess they front That's why I know my life is out of luck Been spending most our lives living in a gangsta's paradise Tell me why are we so blind to see That the ones we hurt are you and me Thanks for watching!