When I was a kid I rode crates on a skate
And I ate everything momma put on my plate
Niggaz walked around packin be -be guns
Knock on yo' door and run, just for fun

We went to the sto' and sold bottles fo' a nickel
To feast upon a big bag of Cheetos and a pickle
You could get a soda foe less than quarter, and
People used to speak even if they didn't know ya

We fought in the streets like little black soldiers
Shake hands, and still be friends when it was over
We used to play tag and, hide and go seek, or
Hide and go get it if we had a few freaks, but

Now thangs changed, kids ain't the same
They bang, and slang, and blow out brains
I wish I could go back but, wishin is for suckers
Life was so simple then

I remember (I remember) ohhhhhhh
When we used to hang
On the porch, drinkin brew
And now they drive-by (bay-bee)
I remember (I remember) ohhhhhhh
When we used to play
Shoot-em-up, up and down
But now they gang-bang (bay-bee)

Well I remember yesteryear like it was yesterday
Runnin through the streets of Onessa P-A
I take you through my childhood step by step
Daddy always told me to maintain my rep though

Daddy was a dawg he ain't raise no punks
In the midst of the trees we learned how to thump
At the tender age of nine momma put us on a plane
Next stop -- the land of the insane

Compton California where the killers grow
Forced to live a life that I didn't know
Wore the wrong colors cause I didn't know the facts
Call her bitch, caught a case, caught a slug in my back

But I adapted quickly, suckers tried to get me
Now the fools better run cause this just driveby Billy
Little black boy from the East
Forced to be a killer, but I can still remember

I remember (I remember) ohhhhhhh
When we used to play
Domino, on the porch
But now they drive-by (bay-bee)

I remember (I remember) ohhhhhhh
When we used to have
Army fights, in the smog
But now they gang-bang (bay-bee)

[Coolio] Back when I was a kid nigga
We used to have this game called paperball
(Paperball? What the fuck is that?)
Get a piece of paper, ball that motherfucker up
and play with it! Hahahaha

I got Tha Alkaholik juice to wake ya up like a rooster
Back when I was young, I used to be a booster
Stealin candy from the sto', go to school, come up
I had the whole playground, chewin all my gum up

You know what I'm sayin? Playin still to the chest
And I was the best, playin kickball at recess
I play Pop Warner, golden pairs for the losers
We used to hop corners on the fresh deuce cruisers

Playin Galaga, Space Invaders, eatin Reese's
I had all the women cause my tough skins had creases
And it's been that way since day one
Girls of the world ain't nothin but fun

I used to watch Dr. J, come through in the clutch
Remember New Zoo Review, and Starsky and Hutch
I remember lunchtime, we used to rhyme out loud
Peace to the Wop and the hip-hop crowd, I remember

I remember (I remember) ohhhhhhh
When we used to hang
On the porch, drinkin brew
And now they drive-by (bay-bee)
I remember (I remember) ohhhhhhh
When we used to play
Shoot-em-up, up and down
But now they gang-bang (bay-bee)

Ohhh, my life, no no
I do remember ohhhhhhhh
I know you do
I remember yesterday

I remember when we played
I remember yesterday, aoowwwwwww!
I remember, hell, when we used to play
In ghetto blocks through the dark

I rememmmmmberrrrrr
Yeahhh yeahhh yeahh
We used to play dominoes all night long
Dominoes all night long

Yesterday, yesterday
Do you remember yesterday? I remember yesterday
You remember remember remember remember...

Writer : IVEY, ARTIS L., JR. / HUFF, LEON / GAMBLE, KENNY
Copyright : Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.