[Intro]
It's a ghetto epic
You might've heard this story befo'
Not like this
[Verse 1]
The air is still, the heat is risin', summertime's on the horizon
Little girl with a baby cryin', 'cause she's got no food to eat
And it ain't that, nobody's listenin' and it ain't that, nobody cares
It's just that everybody's busy lookin' out for what is theirs
I'm a hustler, on the corner, makin' very little money
But down the block on the other corner, this nigga's down there getting paid
What's he doing that I ain't doin'? He got clothes and fancy things
Big ol' car and pretty women, watch what jealousy and envy brings
[Chorus]
On the backstreet
That's where I live
On the backstreet
There ain't nothin' positive
[Verse 2]
Now up the block comes my man, Cee-Lo, say, "What's happenin', how you feel?"
He don't care about no 5-0, 'cause he's known to keep it real
Peep what's happenin' down the block, yo, who this down there takin' mine?
Cee-Lo knows about his business, so he runs it down one time
"He get keys straight from Miami, hooks it up and sells it cheap
You ain't getting none but O's from Sammy, so your prices are too steep
But I got just the thing you need, son, if you really want to win"
Sun light sparkles on his gold fronts as he makes this evil grin
"Take a walk on down to my crib and let me show you somethin' new
Now I got loads of guns and ammo that I bought from this white dude"
He could tell that I was down that I was just the man to see
And he fronted me at least a G's worth of artillery on the backstreet
[Chorus]
Backstreet
That's where I live
On the backstreet, yeah
There ain't nothin' positive
[Verse 3]
Now in his bedroom it's amazin', he got guns of every kind
He lights a blunt we start blazin' then I picked the one that shines
It's an old school Calico, semi auto dark as night
Yeah, it's just the thing I need to make my situation tight
So he shows me how to load it since I, don't know what to do
Aims towards the wall and it exploded, through this poster of Ice Cube
Upon so much devastation that it's obvious to me
That it's just the thing to separate your soul from your body
[Chorus]
On the backstreet
That's where I live
On the backstreet, yeah
There ain't nothin' positive
[Verse 4]
I went home and startin' plottin' for my come up at midnight
In the darkness catch them slippin', take his re-up money, his life
I'll just catch him as he goes out to his car to make a run
Now you can't front when you're confronted with the cold steel of a gun
Midnight comes and I'm movin' on the creep all dressed in black
Wearing a ski mask so he won't know who just put him on his back
So I hid behind the bushes at the people's house next door
Three shots rang out from behind me and my blood began to pour, no
[Interlude]
"What? What now, boy? Told you I was gonna get you, boy
Thought you was gon' catch me slippin', in your dream"
"Let's go, man!"
"Do it hurt?"
"Let's go!"
[Verse 5]
Everything happened in one swift action shit I just couldn't believe
Cee-Lo told them what was happenin' I been tricked, I been deceived
And it ain't that, nobody heard it and it ain't that, nobody cares
It's just that everybody was busy looking out for what was theirs
Non-contributin' citizens, what they call the NCC
Now I don't really know what that means but it's what the cops called me
They don't care what happens to me, they don't miss me on the beat
All they know is that there's one less nigga hangin' on the
[Chorus]
Backstreet
Where I used to live
On the backstreet
There ain't nothin', nothin'
[Outro]
The choices you make can make or break you
The choices you make can make or break you
The choices you make can make or break you
The choices you make can make or break you
