Peer Pressure

(album: Juvenile Hell - 1993)

The pressure... (you gotta find a way to deal with)
Dealing with the peer pressure

As a young black teen, everyday I, deal
With the pressure and mixed up is how I feel
I walk the streets with a fuck you attitude
And when it comes to my peoples, you ain't half as rude
Follow the crowd or be a leader, take your pick
Now I'm smoking buddha philly blunt style
A frustrated and confused young juvenile
King of the project blues so I choose
To take a piece of the action
But my sober state of mind won't let it happen
So, 24/7 is the number one stresser
Dealing with the peer pressure

The pressure... (you gotta find a way to deal with)
Dealing with the peer pressure

Most don't understand how it is
In the world of today growing up as a young black teen
I used to dream, of being a architect
Easier said than done, believe me it's hard to get
Out of the projects, without forgetting where you came from
My parents told me from day one
Finish school and avoid all obstacles
But my environment makes it so impossible
For instance, build a strong social life
Without messing up, still trying to live right
Like in junior high, I used to wonder why
Certain females went out with certain guys

Then one day, it all dawned on me, yo
You gotta be down and have it going on, see?
I wasn't down with the mainstream or should I say their team, huh
Now I'm getting steamed
Gotta find a way to get accepted by my peers
So now I'm sipping on beers
Buying new gear, nuthing but the best
Forget Levi's, strictly Polo and Guess
But how would I make the cash?
It gotta be easy and it gotta be fast
Thinking to myself "Does that make me lesser?"
Just, dealing with the peer pressure

The pressure... (you gotta find a way to deal with)
Dealing with the peer pressure

The pressure... (you gotta find a way to deal with)
Dealing with the peer pressure

Around my way there's a kid that most don't understand
How he lives, is it negative or positive?
He has a grade A average
But when he's on the streets with his friends, he's a savage
A freshman of high school, daily attendant
He never got in trouble, never did he get suspended
Good little Kenny, who would believe?
He dropped out of school to start to smoke weed
I saw the signs but I didn't pay attention
Because he got offended every time that I would mention
The drinking, the smoking, the low school grades
And sleeping in class, laid back with his black shades
Nowadays, you catch Kenny hanging in the hallways
With his crew, finding more ways
To break out of school and hit the block and get buckwild
Stay out of the way of a mad child
'Cause he's a product of hell
Kenny never fell but he's gonna fall overall
So, let's take a trip to the ghetto
Where Kenny got drunk and bought a burner off his man, so
He pulled the trigger and the suicide note read:
"I'm glad it's finally over and I'm finally dead
And no more do I have to feel lesser
Or deal with the peer pressure"

The pressure... (you gotta find a way to deal with)
Dealing with the peer pressure

The pressure... (you gotta find a way to deal with)
Dealing with the peer pressure