This Ain't Livin'

Yeah, what's happening my peoples That's how we're struggling Yeah, I know it's hard out here man But ain't nobody said it was gonna be easy You know what I mean? Together we stand That's how we're struggling Divided we fall What's happenin ya'll? What's crackin? Ain't nothing changed since I was a kid Nothing but the days, months and the years Putting it down and keeping it serious Trying to keep from shedding these tears You would have thought that it would have got better Making that rapping and doing these shows But to me it only got worse Close to a hearse and nobody knows The real steam, the reason why, I do the things that I do Getting so high, drinking these brews Feeling like I've got nothing to lose I payed my dues and the Lord blessed me But now I pray to save my mother, and my brother Lord please help me Heavy loads should be for heavy people But niggas just trying to provide for their family Facing constant evil And we need our higher powers So what I'm going to do is keep my prayers to the sky for you Won't tell no lie for you, but nigga I'm willing to die for you Undivided, reunited With the fist in the pyramid Right about now I'm about to tip my lid Somebody tell me what this is A dream, a reality, my sanity about to give in Got the fame and the fortune but this ain't living Chorus: This ain't livin', but it's the only thing I know This ain't livin', I've got to find a higher road This ain't livin', but it's the only thing I know This ain't livin', I've got to find a higher road From the past, the present through, I'm talking about the struggle The shit hit me so hard I be swearing I'm seeing doubles Sometimes it makes me wonder how I hold and maintain No matter which direction always seems against the grain What to do, what to do? I'm praying for solution In the course that I be kicking have me in a institution Trying to rid this life, of one I didn't chose How you gonna fault me? I paid my dues Every minute of my life I be trying to focus Just when I think I got it someone make me know it Ain't the way I need to be And my eyes way heavy but I keep on pushing cause I ain't livin' for nothing Chorus On a quest for peace, on a quest for peace But I can't escape these wicked streets Got me to realise that I could jeopardize A chance for my kids to be What they wanna be and what they could be And I ain't trying to be that hoody But I wish somebody understood me so they could see the good in me Trying to do thangs to make the world better And everybody hittin' me to be doing what I'm doing Strickly out here chasin this cheddar Ain't nothin' free ain't nothin' fair to me So all in all it's only me Take care of me and you should be doing the same thang My niggas complain' Trying to do to much explainin' When the key is really maintainin' Waitin' for the Lord to stop the rainin' Playing it safe we got to check ourselves Before we wreck ourselves First we got to respect ourselves Cause a nigga won't give us nothin' else Don't sit there and talk me to death Go and get off your thang I'm a see a change when you make a change I believe I know the game Enduring our pain cuz you got to take it And if you want it you'll make it See the drama and shake it Get your mind right Chorus He's on drugs cause he's unhealthy Family's splitting up cause they're struggling Somebody out there, don't you feel the need? Feeling hopeless cause I'm in (?slowly?) I'm lookin' for a better day I be praying for a better day I've been lookin' for a better way Chorus