You Gotta Be...

(I used to be a stick-up kid) --] Rakim [ VERSE 1 ] Everybody in the ghetto tell me... Is it a lie that I must be a ruffneck And wear a frown just to be down? I kinda don't agree with bein (tough) But you gotta be (rough) It's either you claimin your hood, or you're not a gee Forget about respect, I refuse to be the next guy Fitted for a casket, either with it, or get blasted I choose to gangbang, they give me a chrome-plated trigger Say, "If you got any heart, go rob that Mini-Mart, nigga" Now look what I done did, damn, I had to be the big man They're lookin at me shifty, better shut up 'fore I get slammed Man, I'm not a thief, good grief, and I don't wanna act hard But then they said if I didn't do it, they was gonna gat, far As I could see (I was gonna be) The next new member of the crew, cause it's 8 of them and 1 of me I don't wanna do it, but I will Cause I still want folks to think that I'm hard and tough Cause you gotta be (rough) Cause you gotta be (tough) Cause you gotta be (rough) (I used to be a stick-up kid) [ VERSE 2 ] Well, it's the niggeroe, again, right back in where I left off Still tryin to make a decision, I might go to prison if I don't step off But if I don't rob this store, then I'm not sure If I'm gonna be considered as a gee And you gotta be (rough) Cuffs are temporary, homies are for life So I grab the deuce-deuce and go inside I decide to prove in the Mini-Mart, "Don't nobody move Start fillin up the paper sack with loot, or I might shoot" But things didn't go as planned, cause this man had his own gun We're standin toe to toe, eye to eye, so I figured why not Pull the trigger? Put this nigga on the ground It'll show that I had poise, then my boy'll know I'm down But I didn't do it quick enough, or he thought of it first Cause he blasted to the chest, and now I'm restin yellin, "Nurse!" And holdin on to life, or at least tryin to hold on In a jailward wearin cuffs Cause I had to be (rough) Cause you gotta be (tough) Cause you gotta be (rough) (I used to be a stick-up kid) And everybody, everybody gotta be rough, y'all (I used to be a stick-up kid) And everybody, everybody gotta be tough, y'all (I used to be a stick-up kid) [ VERSE 3 ] Well, that's the end of my tale, but before we know Fools'll just forget what I said, and the story go On and on, until you're up to no good And back throwin up your hood And still doin what you shouldn't Niggeroes, come together, cause divided we fall So stall that gang shit, stand up Quit standin in handcuffs Really hard's when you got loot And you ain't gotta shoot Damn man, enough is enough So why you gotta be (rough) Cause you gotta be (tough) Cause you gotta be (rough) (I used to be a stick-up kid)