Dear God.. how can I explain myself?
(Oh God bless me indeed)
When I´m so confused
(Enlarge my territory)
(Place your love and protection over me at all times)
Help me!
(Keep me away from evil)
Somebody answer me! [echoes]
(Allow me not to cause pain)

Jay-Z
Police in the background, screamin put the thing down
That´s how hard I was trying to put my thing down
Si-rens ringin out, old ladies screamin out
All this attention for me and I´m barely sixteen now
.. it´s feelin like a dream now
Handcuffed, roughed up, I´m tossed in the bing now
I´m lyin next to fiends now, that´s the end of the story
Let me bring y´all niggaz back to the very first scene now
December 4th, a child is born
Before I knew it, had my pops trousers on
That´s how we do it when the man of the house is gone
You either, stand or fall, I chose to stand
The hawk outside, so I blow my hand
It´s a cold cold world but I overstand
Tryin to stay focused but I feel hopeless damn
Can´t cope with bein broke, I´m a man - c´mon

{Refrain:}
Son don´t let these streets, get the best of you
I will be right by your side, when you goin through
Son just don´t let it (just don´t let it)
Just don´t let it (just don´t let it)
Just don´t let it (just don´t let it)
.. get the best of you

R. Kelly
Late one night I was, rollin the streets
Just, thinkin about what´s goin on with me and
trapped in this thug life, tryin to break free but
this thug life just keeps callin me
I´m livin life way too dangerously
I´m drownin in my misery
Looked in the mirror, there´s my enemy
Cause poppa never was a part of me
Take one step at a time, mama said
Sweet memories still remain in my head
All of my life been lied to, misled
Voices be like, "Don´t you wish you was dead?"
No ground to place my feet
I feel the fire under me
A way out is all I need
Somebody, answer me!

{au Refrain}

Jay-Z
Now the only thing left is more spirit to roam free
.. cause ain´t no goin home for me
It´s a cold cold world but I blew my hand
A true first cause I knew that man
I knew what he would do if I didn´t draw first
And I couldn´t stand the thought of my momma steppin foot inside a church
All I try to do is try to get up out the dirt
Guess he´s tryin to do the same, told me get up out his turf
I wanted to talk to him, but that shit´d never work
We was cut from the same cloth and what was under his shirt was his
momma´s rent, his young brother´s clothes
My nephew´s food, and with that I suppose
.. and with that I froze
Now my life is frozen in time behind these iron folds
And this story is told, for young soldiers
who never choose the life we chose

{au Refrain}

R. Kelly
Tears in my eyes as I look up, I´m tryin to
hold back my pride but reality is screamin
Gotta get a job cause mo-mma also screamin
Streets are just like drugs, and it´s like I´m out here fiendin
Forget all the hits in the industry, cause
ain´t no exceptions in this game for me, look
Neither God or my enemies, I
choose God cause he understands, this
young man with a thuggish heart
Whole world in his hands but still torn apart
Like I´m so close, but it´s still so far
Nightmares of me in a swervin car, ohhh
No ground to place my feet (my feet)
I feel the fire under me (heyyy)
A way out is all I need (all I need)
Somebody, answer me!

{au Refrain}