[Lil' Zane] Money is mandatory, my game is self explanitory I hit the blunt as I proceed to tell my ghetto stories I'm into deep,all my peeps, bring them shovel stories Some niggaz strapped with thier gats, tryin to kill your homez Didn't know me, but met the heat when they ran up on me Left his wife and 2 kids at the crib lonely Got in the way of a stray bullet when I pass Tryin to retaliate but keep that happin in the past Ways of the world, how will I last when the economy crash I'm goin all out gettin my cash While spend mine open, wit my eyes on the world Ghettos and jail cells gave me stories to tell Body swells from the evil smells that I inhale Evil set me up to fail make my life so real People tape will caution times being lost my soul series to scar I'm fighting off demons, it's the ways of the world [chorus: 2x] Even though it hurts chest I'm gonna stroke till I lose my breath lookin to sin since life began Coming all the way out the water to get oxygen Please father help me breathe again, at ease again [Lil' Zane] Looking at my self in the mirror, I took a second to think Memories of bein babies, given milk to drink Without a worry at mind, we would play all the time They ain't callin it but b-ball took up most of my time We were hard headed they all said it From my parents to our teachers and even my preacher, I say my prayers, I gave my momma grey hairs She lives in fear The thought of me not being there got her worried scared They say I look just like my father, without the beard they should have named that nigga magic and dissapear A couple months out of the year, he reappears its all the same, ain't nuttin changed, you still my nigga Don't hold a grudge, just give me love, I'm on my own I'm kinda sober from a broken home Wondering what's goin on, did I deserve this Living in Atlanta got this little nigga nervous Mama tried to feed us all, until she got laid off Had the rats paid off, now we all laid off [chorus 2x] [Lil' Zane] Duckin the gun shots,at the age of 13 There was a war zone, so you choose your team When the war strikes you better have a heart to fight or get lost in the world when you loose your life I would like to get blown, so I read and pray Surviving day to day, running the streets of stray Living all my self no company You better meet the heat when you come for me And when I die, burn alive, that's a wish of mine I know that heaving in the zone ain't that hard to find and when you make it they gone take it, that's a must you know Don't think of gettin to the top without a problem or so I take for caution as for evil gotta hit on me I've been a bad boy for momma,dont you quit on me They built a jail so when we rise they can crush our dreams Two of the largest in the industry, erased from the scene And I don't wanna be a target so I got with a team They got a glow around their body and do shit you've never seen, know what I mean? Take it deep like summer eves, that's what we do, only humans Tryin to get through the world with no confusion When you close your eyes, can you state the pain, the misery Bringin for you will rescue me These are the ways of the world Now I have to choose between life or lose my sanity Go with the streets keep callin me These are the ways of the world