Illegal - Back In The Day lyrics

Back in the day I stayed
Paid I slayed and slanged
Them thangs never had shit
No I never had a fuckin' thing
I didn't have mines to spend
Time or curl back
I needed that fast money so I had to react
Got go handle my hood 'cause my
Sea mileage is all that
I hustle when I had to so
My pockets could stay kinda fat
Never was a crab - I never was a bummer
Just do what I gotta do and
Break a nigga off some
Correct, correct go even so a brother-
I just make em holla until he feels pain
Gimme your sneakers, money, clothes, rings
And your fuckin' chains
Cuz II I never could have shit
Who'd ever think I'd have this?
I wasn't sure i had a window to
Throw out my pot of piss
Now-Now-Now this verse is to show
Whose life was worse
That's why I'm a bad boy ghetto
Bastard and always have to curse

Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager

For Christmas I wish for a tip
My daddy never played catch
My mommy was addicted to crack
Because she had no self-respect
I used to walk the streets
Sometimes and never ate
Until my grandma took me away
But still I wasn't safe
But something changed
I had someone to care for me
But still I never had a
Male influence around me
My momma, grandmama
Auntie and uncle were strung out
The only time I got love is when
I had money or some drugs
I found all the ones I got left like a beaver
Until I start stealin that's when
My people starts to wonder
"Where you got it? How you got
It? Can I have it?
Will you give it to me so I
Can make some ends by sellin it?"
Most of the time i used to give it to 'em
That's when my Uncle Ed crossed over and
Made ducats by the minute get it?
I'm never packin pop tarts for lunch
I'm packin 38 Specials that's why
They call me Mr hotshot

Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager

In Holly Hill they hate to see you smile
Love to see you frown
Can't get yourself up out the ghetto
Tryna keep the next family down
But you know, that's how it ever was
If you can't have it you got
It from the one who does
My mother did what she had to do to satisfy
Guess what they gotta do? Dude
My first packages went by
More sales and we was making money
We couldn't stay in the 'jects
Had to get up and go
Niggas couldn't stand to see that
- started snitchin to 5-0
In other words, rattin' like a mouse
They listened and listened
Then they ran up in the fuckin' house
Trashed the crib, the whole thing was a mess
They was takin everybody down puttin
Them in the DSS josetta shed tears
It was a cryin' shame - right?
That's when I met Naughty By Nature and they
Told me that everything is gonna be alright

Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager
Back in the day when I was a teenager

13 on April 26 of 1992
But to my family it's just
Another day another week jamal, fuck you
It's the same shit different day so I just
Leave and go get sensimillia
From the neighbors if I can
I shoot some hoop with my
Niggas on the corner
And ask them who they think
The next goner's gonna be
Me or some markhead niggas around the way?
Cuz they front they shit like
They shit don't stink
I knew much better when I was a
Kid I stayed on the DL
But still I always heard people scream
Jamal when shit went down
It's like when shit went down I
Was the number one suspect
It wasn't because of me it was
Because of my uncle Trevor
Never lived a normal everyday kid life
Instead of after school activities I'm on
The corner shootin dice at night
If you ain't from around don't come around
Because you won't leave with a smile
You'll leave with a frown
On your face as you hear the
Words of a nine millimeter
Back in the days when I was a teenager