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Penitentiary Lyrics by Ice Cube

War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)

1998

"Attention all nigga row's and nigga hoe's
We've decided to rob this motherfucker the legal way
Not subjecting ourselves to become properly owned stock
In the penal system. In the justice system"

Penitentiary, I hear you calling me (x4)

[Verse 1]
As the world turns, it burns while it's spinning
Coming to a fucked-up ending
I can't wait till the day everything in the hood is straight
And I can hit the pearly gates
Until then, the pen is unfair
Slave ships in the middle of nowhere (mama)
I lets my goddamn hair grow (mama)
Bellin' in court, lookin' like a scarecrow
On Capital Hill, they done passed a bill
Coming at me with a fucked-up deal (what)
The judge gave me a 'L'
But y'all can't tell
I wait and cry in my cell
Convicted negro, superhero
Speaker of the house
Hate the lyrics in my mouth
Bitches in the south showin' ass (mmm)
Mix-a-Lot, got hoes puttin titties on the glass
We blast in the west for example
And rap about this shit over funkadelic samples
Yo' babies see me kill a fool on TV (West side!)
And straight call me a G

[Hook 1]
Penitentiary, I hear you calling me
Penitentiary, I hear you calling me
Thinkin' of illegal ways to get paid
But it ain't shit, got to be legit

[Hook 2]
In South-central L.A
You can buy your game from the C.I.A., hey-hey
In South-central L.A
You can buy your game from the C.I.A. baby

[Hook 1]

[Verse 2]
When the evil outweighs the good
And you only give a fuck about the bucks
The Earth will self-destruct (bitch!)
Fuck the ozone layer, bitch I'm a playa (bitch!)
Plus we got a black mayor
I get sex when I show flex (Booom!)
Port Bay Rolex (Booom!)
Which ho is next?
Treat you like a piece of meat, not a mate
Calling you a ho 'cos I'm fucking on the first date
My world is a one-mile radius
I swear every other hood is the shadiest
Could the Crips and Bloods be all rotten
When the trilateral commission is plottin'?
What you gonna do when the Earth erupts?
Some niggas gettin' nuts outa styrofoam cups (punk)
Fool you want monster swoll
But won't even think about, socking Bob Dole (punk)
Asshole from the Senate
How can you relate to a project tennant?
Motherfuck you and the Department of Corrections
Tryina' get a section of this west-side connection

[Hook 1] x2
[Hook 2]

Just because you gotta stay
You ain't gotta rot away
We gon' come and get you one day
(repeat until fade)
Credits
Ice Cube

Ice Cube

About “Penitentiary” by Ice Cube

Read the complete lyrics to "Penitentiary" by Ice Cube from the album "War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)" in 1998. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, USA, Gangsta Rap.

"Penitentiary" is performed by Ice Cube. from the album "War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)" in 1998 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Penitentiary", explore more songs by Ice Cube using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Ice Cube · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Penitentiary" is credited to Ice Cube. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Penitentiary" appears on "War & Peace Vol. 1 (The War Disc)" in 1998.

Visit the Ice Cube artist page at /artist/ice-cube for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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