Lend me your ear (listen)
Won't you listen?
Listen (listen)
Listen
Listen

Granddaddy was a hustla
On the dirt road
Him and his brother
Stayed sharper than a motherfucker
That nigga stayed on the corner
Stacy Adams never scuffed up (listen)
So that explains bout my daddy and me
I mean the apple don't fall too far from the tree
I was thirteen, mad as hell
Thinking why can't we live up in Beverly Hills (listen)
Wondered why all my homies in my hood were killed
Thinking why I got a 9 in my pocket for real? (listen)
It's gotta be a better life than this
I mean kids shouldn't have to go through this shit
I mean this is California, Land of the Free
But every city in America it's plain to see (listen)
Dawg, my people ain't getting they due
That's the reason why we do what we gotta do

Listen
This is for the homies in my hood
All the single mamas it's all good (listen)
All why'all soldiers on the front line
Doing what you got to do to get by (listen)
This is for the struggle it don't stop
This one's for Malcolm, Martin and Tupac (listen)
No matter how hard they try can't stop us
We still gon get by mother fucker
Listen

I ain't in love with the situation
But I'ma get by and I'ma get mine
And my mamas and my daddies and my whole line
Until ShaunShaun sitting on a gold mine (listen)
I'ma play my position get up in the middle
Sneak and attack this dog eat dog shit here
A whole lot of folks got to eat here
Grandmamma had 24 kids and that's real (listen)
Cause I plan to build a boys club or something
Where fathers can take their sons on weekends
Cause that's what they need
I don't want to see them in these streets
These sharks out here and they eating (listen)
I know I been gone for a minute but I'm back
Just to put the West Coast back on track
I gangsta represent it till the day that I die
And I didn't tell a lie
Still gon get by

Listen
This is for the homies in my hood
All the single mamas it's all good (listen)
All why'all soldiers on the front line
Doing what you got to do to get by (listen)
This is for the struggle it don't stop
This one's for Malcolm, Martin and Tupac (listen)
No matter how hard they try can't stop us
We still gon get by mother fucker
Listen

Baby girl I know you trying to do it by yourself
And ain't nobody there to help you
Seem like nobody cares
For beautiful you (listen)
For beautiful you
Baby boy trying to get up out the game now (so much pressure)
But damn it's so much pressure (so much pressure)
It ain't a penthouse in the sky
It's keeping on the lights
We just trying to get by

Listen
This is for the homies in my hood
All the single mamas it's all good (listen)
All why'all soldiers on the front line
Doing what you got to do to get by (listen)
This is for the struggle it don't stop
This one's for Malcolm, Martin and Tupac (listen)
No matter how hard they try can't stop us
We still gon get by mother fucker
Listen

Listen
This is for the homies in my hood
All the single mamas it's all good (listen)
All why'all soldiers on the front line
Doing what you got to do to get by (listen)
This is for the struggle it don't stop
This one's for Malcolm, Martin and Tupac (listen)
No matter how hard they try can't stop us
We still gon get by mother fucker
Listen

Listen
This is for the homies in my hood
All the single mamas it's all good (listen)
All why'all soldiers on the front line
Doing what you got to do to get by (listen)
This is for the struggle it don't stop
This one's for Malcolm, Martin and Tupac (listen)
No matter how hard they try can't stop us
We still gon get by mother fucker
Listen

Writer : WEST, KANYE OMARI/KWELI, TALIB/SIMONE, NINA
Copyright : Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.