| And I say welcome to the hood, welcome to the hood
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| Welcome to the place where nothing ever ends up good
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| And they say that you’re a disgrace if you can’t find yourself a job
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| Around here there’s either been a drought and there’s been a flood
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| No one ever built an ark for anybody from the block
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| Man are tryna ring the heavens but God never gets in touch
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| For certain people it’s a must to come across as tough
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| 'Cause you don’t wanna be a victim when Berettas start to bust
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| And I say welcome to the hood, welcome to the hood
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| Where no one teaches you to love because we’re all products of lust
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| We learn to tell a lie before we even learn to trust
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| And then we see our people die as if the sorrow ain’t enough
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| So-and-so killed so-and-so, I struggle to keep up
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| A victim of knife crime, they hit him in the lung
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| The press are making articles, expressing their disgust
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| But where there’s no opportunities, survival is a must
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| And I say welcome to the hood, welcome to the hood
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| Where boredom leads to depression, depression leads to drugs
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| And drugs numb the pain of all the fucked-up stuff
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| That you have to see when you’re forced into growing up
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| Nobody’s responsible, everybody’s corrupt
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| School’s a waste of time cah we’re learning outta books
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| And when you’re academic you get taken for a mug
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| 'Cause mathematics won’t help when you’re in a puddle of blood
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| And I say welcome to the hood, welcome to the hood
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| Feels like the only thing that ever settles is the dust
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| We try and keep it clean but the stress builds up
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| And it was all a dream until Biggie got shot
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| Welcome to the place that I call home
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| Be careful it don’t turn your heart to stone
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| Welcome to the war and battling
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| You live or you die, you lose or you win
|
| And I say welcome to the hood, welcome to the hood
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| The person they call mental health is the person that we call mum
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| We either don’t have a dad or we have more than one
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| And we’re told to fly the nest before we even learn to run
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| You don’t have to be a soldier here to hold a gun
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| And watching other people suffer is what we consider fun
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| 'Cause suffering is standard, you’ll have to toughen up
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| At least that’s what your mother tells you when she’s fully drunk
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| People steal for a living and end up in the can
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| It’s miles easier in jail, but you wouldn’t understand
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| Being a criminal is not part of the plan
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| But how are you supposed to work when nobody will take you on?
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| So I say welcome to the hood, welcome to the hood
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| Depression and anxiety get swept under the rug
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| These gangsters in your family, welcome to the club
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| Because there’s plenty of gangsters in a city full of thugs
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| Being born into the politics of poverty is rough
|
| You can look down your nose at us, but only God can judge
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| Most of us are afraid to pray to the above
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| 'Cause Pac said there ain’t no heaven for a thug
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| Welcome to the hood, welcome to the hood
|
| Welcome to the place where nothing ever ends up good
|
| And they say that you’re a disgrace if you can’t find yourself a job
|
| Around here there’s either been a drought and there’s been a flood
|
| Welcome to the place that I call home
|
| Be careful it don’t turn your heart to stone
|
| Welcome to the war and battling (This is my world)
|
| You live or you die, you lose or you win
|
| They say there ain’t no heaven for a thug
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| Seems like my good ain’t ever good enough
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| Feels like I’m running, running outta love
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| You live or you die, you lose or you win
|
| They say there ain’t no heaven for a thug
|
| Seems like my good ain’t ever good enough
|
| Feels like I’m running, running outta love
|
| You live or you die, you lose or you win
|
| Welcome to the place that I call home
|
| Be careful it don’t turn your heart to stone
|
| Welcome to the war and battling
|
| You live or you die, you lose or you win
|
| You lose or you win |