My Neighborhood

See this house right here, up on the left side?
It? s occupied by a man they call Money Mike.
But before he moved in the neighborhood
And he? ll tell you himself, that he was up to no good.
Now I remember seein? mike in the streets around
Didn? t know what he was in but he was deep down.
Had them Robin Leech toys when they came out
Rims that still spin when the car shut down.
Yep, he was livin it up and clever though
But he wasn? t clever enough he moves real slow.
? Cause when he went to re-up on green bags
Cats pulled a sucker move and the deal went bad.
I suppose Mike do regret that night
Two slugs to the spine made him not move right.
But Mike lived through said the message was clear.
So he left where he was from and then he moved in here.
Imma take you on a trip where my crib at
Cause I? ve hangin in these parts since way back
It ain't to far from the spot that you in
You know the liquor store keep straight there? s my residence.

You hear the sound? then respond to that
You? re in my neighborhood where the party's at.
So keep the feet movin from side to side
And get them hands in to space? til they scrape the sky.

Wassup Kaneesha! That? s my homey for shozen
Stays up at the house where the garage door open.
She moved from out west about a year and a half
And to see her smile now kinda makes me laugh.
The story of her life is like a drama mini series
To hear her vocalize it make a brother eyes teary.
She was probably 5 or 6 when mom and dad split,
Pops moved to pittsburg, hasn? t? seen hersince.
Moms passed soon after the liquor took her liver.
So she moved in with her auntie and started actin grown.
Graduated went to Spellman college
And the fact kaneesha was freaky was general knowledge
She was looking for love in all the wrong places,
Fall in for the thugs with the gold in their faces.
Laid with them all in hopes to build on it
Gave them here and they kept stepping on it.
You would see her in the club showin back and neck
On that chemical affection that she called X
She was a queen, didn? t believe it
Nobody ever told her and I guess she didn? t see it.
She wanted change another chance to begin
Saw the light and on the way became a virgin again.
Used to think she did too much to ever get right
She? bout to make a lucky man a spectacular wife.

[Chorus]

And then here lives my man Clayborn
Before he transferred in took a ride in the storm.
Came from rich roots with everything he could have wanted
But for some reason, Clayborn he didn? t want.
Top of his class and never played hooky
Until one day he ate a bag of gangsta cookies.
Messin with them guns for the street sensation
Stealin cars, pullin home invasions.
He got caught for doin some filthy work
Evidence, a shoe print cops found in the dirt.
His life rocked, print matched his shox
It was enough to send him up in the county cell spot.
Now a guest of the state, looking back at his deeds
He decided crime life wasn? t fillin his needs.
Like Morgan in Shawshank, Clayborn found redemption.
Got out the cuffs so that house then he moved in.