E-40, Devin The Dude - Lookin' Back lyrics

Lookin back when the days wasn't so easy
You were either hustlin or strugglin
Make it or break it
Would take all different pieces
And we'll make somethin of nothin

Lookin back at the times when we had to grind
When it came to freestylin we
Was glad to rhyme
When it was hard to make a dime
Let alone get a dollar
Had to get your hustle on
Knew not to ask your mama for it
When you got it you couldn't blow it
So I saved what I had in the bag
Then I would go get
Radio batteries, I'd buy the cassettes
LPs, 4 tracks, wires and
And we was down for hours
We was known around town
Come through with the crew and
Break the cardboard down heh glide
Then the whole thing started with
The Odd Squad parties
Met E-40 at the Rap-A-Lot office
Him and Bela cool niggas with
The Click that stay drunk
We was gettin Houstin high
They already had the Bay crunk
Straight up old school, wasn't no ProTools
Jack you for your jacket
And they'll jack you for yo shoes
Back then you had friends who had your back
You only had three choices - sports
Rap or crack and ah
It's a blessing to still be part of the game
And I wouldn't change one thing

Lookin back when the days wasn't so easy
(It wasn't easy, mane)
Were either hustlin or strugglin
(Workin, hustlin and strugglin)
Make it or break it
Would take all different pieces
(All of the pieces)
And we'll make somethin of nothin
(That's right, mane, we'd make
Somethin of nothin, mane)

Make somethin out of nothin hey Devin
This 40, mane let me gas it right quick, bro
Let it tell it from my perspective
You smell me? Look here
I just wanna spit a few bars
Listen up, family listen

Lookin back before YouTube and
Social networks was founded
A&R's'd go to the hood to
Find artists with talent
Recording engineers was low-key
Lightweight crooks
Not all of 'em but some of 'em'd
Take all day to fly hooks
That's how they did it back then
Based on a hourly rate
The longer they make, the mo' money they make
All we wanted to do was rap
Young and enthusiastic
Hopin that one day our tapes would
Be in stores shrinkwrapped and packaged
We used to beg the promoters to do us a favor
Let us perform for free, pimpin, mane
The money gon' come later
We knew the money was gon' come later
We was just tryina get our name out there
And it ended up workin, mane, for real though
Rehearse and practise, practise and rehearse
Me and Too $hort
Bun and Pimp C wouldn't charge each
Other to spit a verse
We all knew what we was worth
Future legends up in the game
RIP Pimp C, way ahead of his time
Everybody wanna be that guy
Everybody wanna be that dude
But everybody don't wanna pay dues like
40 and Devin The Dude
Two good dudes, old school but new school
Meet 'em in person, you gon' say
"Them some cool fools"
Good music still around
Just gotta know where to find it
The seasoned entrepreneur
Independently grindin
20 plus 3 years deep in this music
People always be askin me, "40
How the fuck is you still doin it?"

Lookin back when the days wasn't so easy
You were either hustlin or strugglin
Make it or break it
Would take all different pieces
And we'll make somethin of nothin