Cradle To The Grave (Original Version)

{crying of new born child} [Intro :2Pac] {faint sound} From the cradle to the grave From the cradle to the grave From the cradle to the grave From the cradle to the grave [Verse 1: 2Pac] June 16th, 1971 Mama gave birth to a Hell-raising heavenly son See the doctor tried to smack me but I smacked him back My first words was, "Thug for life" and "Papa, pass the MAC" I'm busting on these motherfuckers balling Listen you can hear my mini fourteen calling From out the window of my drop top, I got my Glock cocked Busting at niggas, when will it stop? Now tell me are you scared of the dark? Can't close my eyes I see visions And even with this thug living will I escape prison? Penitentiary chances was an all day thang The only way to advance; and if you slang Then you'd better have yo' Nikes on Cause when we fight it's in the middle of the night with no lights on, hey!! There must be a God cause I feel lucky Paranoid out my mind cause motherfuckers tryna rush me Am I going to jail? Look at me bailing Coming out the court house, all about my mail and bank Never, never die I'll be a hustler, motherfuckers And making thugs out you suckers from the cradle to the grave [Hook] Things wouldn't have been so bad If we got the thangs that we never had Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' Things.. [Verse 2: Mopreme] From the cradle to the grave since a little bitty child I've been known to get ill and kinda buck wild Pop pop! Just like the part that's in my walk with street talk I'm running up the block in the dark where lead spark Surveillance on a nigga every day Waiting on my daddy just to take his ass away Now Mama always working tryna make ends meet So now a young nigga's being raised by the streets And then the only other one that ever showed me love Was my dope fiend uncle strung out on drugs A straight thug, just me, my mama out here on our own So I got two gats,one black and one of chrome Now I don't wanna hurt nobody but I must defend mine! It's all the fuck I got, so stop and walk a thin line Young niggas be brave And keep on thugging from the cradle to the grave From the cradle to the grave [Hook] Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' [Verse 3: The Rated R] From the cradle to the grave, I'm glad to say, I made it this far Many G's died hogs and all they got was they name hit up on a wall It's sad thinking about the times Life goes on, I'm steady lost in this land That's the war zone, I gots no home, don't have no friends neither It's just me by my lonely so I married my Nina I keeps her wherever I go, I love my ho Never leave home with out my sugar, I'm have to plug a nigga Mama told me not to trust no punks And kick his ass if he lay a hand on me since then I been knowing Sometimes I think my own self stupid Cause I stay shooting at marks, get twisted up in police reports Since the cradle, I've been ungrateful My first toy was a gun I got sprung and learned to love weapons But now I'm through with money, and through with street fame Somebody peeled my cap, and put me in my grave [Hook] Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' Things.. [Verse 4: Macadoshis] March 18th, a rainy day my mama gave birth To a baby boy trapped in hell on Earth From day one it wasn't fun I never had a crumb Daddy worked two jobs and Mama won't stop drinkin' rum I tried to cope loc, but my family's broke And my pocket's short so now I got ta slang dope In the game filled with pain it's a fuckin' shame The white man got a motherfucker slangin' 'caine So now it's on from dusk to dawn I'm gettin' my serve on Always in the spot with my Glock slingin' rocks at the Rox The shit don't stop, I'm steady dodgin' cops I never flip-flop, hear my Glock cock, thug 'til I drop And if I hit the pen I gotta do my time Sittin' on my bunk reminiscin' bout the good times It's fucked up a nigga gotta grow up doin' dirt But from the cradle to the grave I'mma put in work [Hook] Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' [Verse 5: Big Syke] Time's movin' fast, will I last another day? So I pray and I lay with my A-K Did I sell my soul as a young kid? All the things I did wishin' someone held me but they never did I can't take it, will I make it to my older age? Before I'm shot up or locked up in a fuckin' cage Lord help me, guide me, save me! Cause that's the way that Daddy raised me, crazy Do or die, nigga pull the trigger don't give a fuck You'd rather be in jail than get yo' ass bucked Nobody cares, it's me against the world Keepin' murder on my mind and my Tec-9 I got nothin' to lose, payin' dues, nigga you wanna die? I get high and then my mission is a walk-by You'd better jet when I hit your set cause I'm comin' Start runnin' yellin' "evil mind" as I'm gunnin' One in the chamber for the anger that I build inside For the mothers that cried, for my homies that died The beginning is an ending, am I just a slave? So I got to be brave from the cradle to the grave [Hook + Outro] Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had Awww ([?] never [?]) from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' (awww) Things wouldn't be so bad If we got the thangs that we never had Give up some times to come up [] something {crying of new born child}