(Refrain)
Yeah, we still kickin'
‘Til they kick us out the gate
Turn this up if you relate
Born in 1988...
(Chorus)
Thank God we still alive
We still in the game
They wanted us to die
But just look how far we came
Still got so far to go
Though life is moving
Thank God it's even moving
‘Cuz it could've stayed the same
And I'm just here for the ride
The ride
Yeah, I'm just here for the ride
The ride
Just take a look In my eyes
(Verse 1)
They say if you want it
You gotta breathe it and live it
As if you need it for living
My sins, they needed forgiving
I talked to God
And we good
Now I'm good
Now I do's what I could
Like them dudes from the hood
They paying dues, like they should
4 years old in my room
You heard them shots outside my window
As I was playing Nintendo
Hustlers was slanging indo
On the corner
I remember when they jacked my daddy's caddy
My mom walked me to preschool
Smack dab in the middle of winter
But we came so far
My father had a dream
That ain't consist of those illegal dollar schemes
But desired to provide a better life
He was a product of those projects
But was never moving product for the profit
Got it honest
God-fearing
And honestly
That's the reason
For my quotes
I be trying to be that anidote
And that hope
And I hope
We exceed our written fate
For those good-hearted children
Who was told they couldn't escape
Born in 1988
(Chorus)
(Refrain)
(Verse 2)
Now I'm living in the
Same old city
With a brand new feel
Same old hunger
For a brand new meal
Same young dudes who was pushing outside
Of my crib as a kid
Now finishing a bid
Got out
Looking old to a brand new world
Brand new batch
Of these boys and girls
Headed for the same fate
Learned from the OG's
Now they going OC
There's little old me
Still wishing ‘til I'm sitting
On stars
Can't believe I came this far
Man, I thank God that I made it
I could of disintegrated
Like so many I know
God rest they soul
R-I-Ps on the middle of our tees
The days go fast
But the pain moves slow
Met a young dude
Just turned 16
Got 16 times 2, plus 3
‘Cuz he popped 2 from a 22
In the back of another 16
Got tried as 18
We only spoke twice
Wish something that I said
Coulda changed his life
But it didn't
Now he sitting
In an 8 by 10
Up in prison
So to this 16
I hope he get to listen
Hanging pictures on his jail cellm ceiling
Like the Sistine
Man, I hope that he still dream
To the rest
Don't get caught up in the scheme
That's all part of they plan
Man, they want us in the bing
I gotta thank Dad
Who was showing me these things
When I was just a youngin
Or I woulda known nothing
So for now
I'm just in it for the ride
Living right is how you make it to the other side
Till we arrive
And laugh at the ones who said
We wouln't past 25
(Chorus)
(Refrain)