Where I've Been

To all the youth in the world They think that nobody understands Well I understand that It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at I grew up as a seventies baby Brought up in poverty and sin Making jokes at the crazy lady Never cared how she was dealing within I knew all the words to Michael Jackson's album as a kid And when it came to the biggest pressure No he wasn't my man At the age of seven years old A strange thing happened to me Before I even saw my life had flashed before me And I've got the marks to show And it became a thing of you So I gotta let you know that my life and my life It's been hard for me (it's been) Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at Now mama's working hard all day And she said this before she left home Take care of your little brother Have the place clean when I get home All this priority Me and Tonya hadn't learned to be grown But at the time for me It's like grown had seemed so long Woke up at seventeen With nothing going for me Except the fact that I sing You know it hurts so much From all the sights that I've seen From abusing to holding drugs You probably couldn't take some of the things That I lived in my life It's been hard for me (it's been hard) Trying struggling endlessly (I know, I know) For where I've been is no longer where I'm at (I know, I know) And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at It's been hard for me (I'm wit you) Trying struggling endlessly (I've been there) For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at It's hard when the street's a jungle I'm telling you, I'm telling you Especially with your pretty colors I'm telling you, I'm telling you So stay low and keep it humble I'm telling you, I'm telling you Black women hold it down keep your feet on the ground Black men keep searchin and you'll be found It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at [Eve] In this world of continuous bullshit and full clips Seems all we have to pass on is being useless Broken homes, babies all alone Parents never there, no food, no clothes to wear Anger everywhere Ain't no values being taught No productive thoughts Jealousy rules the world, take shit at any cost Gotta change our state of life make it worth living God gave me voices to speak, and that's our way of giving It's so much bigger than the furs and duvels What about encouraging the youth to do well What about giving back What about unifying shit we all black, get it together Everybody's got their trials and tribulations Learn to change the negative to positive situations Don't hold the lessons that you've learned Pass it on and accept the blessings that you earn It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly For where I've been is no longer where I'm at And where I'm going is not where I'm stopping at It's been hard for me Trying struggling endlessly