As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' 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

Me be 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 loc

As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool

I'm the kinda G, the little homies wanna be like

On my knees in the night, saying prayers

    in the streetlight

                           [Hook & Intro] (G# Fm G Cm x2)

((Been/Keep) spending most (their/our) lives ═══════════╗

 Living in the gangsta's paradise x2~2)     ║ Gangsta's ║

                                            ║  Paradise ║

Look at the situation they got me facin'    ╚═══════════╝

I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the streets

So I gotta be down with the hood team

Too much television watching got me chasing dreams

I'm a educated fool with money on my mind      ╔════════╗

Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye    ║ Coolio ║

I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' 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, do or die, what can I say

I'm 23 now but will I live to see 24               [Coda]

The way things is going, I don't know  Tell me why are we

                                          So blind to see

Power and the money,      [Hook]    That the ones we hurt

    money and the power                    Are you and me

Minute after minute, hour after hour

Everybody's running but half of them ain't looking

What's going on in the kitchen,

    but I don't know what's cookin'

They say I gotta learn but nobody's here to teach me

If they can't understand it, how can they reach me

I guess they (can't/won't/front) (x3), that's      [Hook]

    why I know my life is out of luck, fool   [Coda] (x2)