A Gangster And A Gentleman

(album: A Gangster And A Gentleman - 2002)

Yes, pay full attention
This is for gangstas, this is for gentlemen
There's two kind of people out there
I happen to be the boss type
I'm a product of my environment
Blame the streets, I am what they made me

My pops came from Bed-Stuy, my mom came from Africa
I'm all nigga if you know what I mean
They hooked up in the '70's when liquor and weed was heavy
And had me in Corona, Queens
By the time I was seven my mom left my pop
Then we moved to the south side of Yonkers, New York
Then my mom remarried, had my little brother Gary
My sister a year later, let me gather my thoughts
By the time I was nine I was outta my mind
My step pops didn't like me beat me outta my mind
Ten and eleven? the same, I never would change
He still had to hit me, aggravate a little nigga
Still wearing Skippys
Garf had Adidas and Pumas, I coulda had a pair
But Mommy said wait 'til Christmas, but I needed 'em sooner
If you heard I was broke, dawg it wasn't a rumor

I said Gangstas ride (Ride with me)
Gentlemen live your life (Live it up)
Cause Gangstas die (We all gon die)
It's only a matter of time (The clock tickin)

It was 1986 and I was twelve years old
That's right around the time when crack came out
It was the best thing that happened to me
I swear to God cause I was gettin everything that I was asking about
First we started off baggin up, me and Garf
Then shit start addin up, we gettin smart
Now we on Broadway, copping our own base
Bring it home and put it in bottles, sit in Serato
Drink an OE and scramble like it wasn't tomorrow
I'm gettin kicked out of Junior High, thinking I'm grown
Garf bust with the yellow rabbit
And I had every color Delt we was getting it on
I was out robbing Mexicans six in the morn'
Mom said I had a F again, riffing I'm gone
Nigga get a little looted and grown, soup in the dome
Fuck me up worst when I went to the group home

I said Gangstas ride (Ride with me)
Gentlemen live your life (Live it up)
Cause Gangstas die (We all gon die)
It's only a matter of time (The clock tickin)

I'm leavin out a lotta shit, nigga it's too real
My alcoholic backround, the welfare motels
Abuse that I had to take struggle at my mom's recruit
How the fuck I'm gon bond wit you
And the cases I got up to date told you that I bust a eight
Got niggas I can't name, outta state niggas fuck with weight
Little brother gone but I got a baby angel
You fuckin with a dirty name, don't let these niggas change you
The present's what you get
And the past is what make the man future
I can't tell you I ain't God or lil' Superman
No there ain't a 'S' on my chest, but it's a 'D' on my block (D-Block)
'Cause in life the deepest lesson is death
I'm determined and I'm disciplined and destined to rest
I'm a Gangsta and a Gentleman, Panero the best
When I pass I'm like gas, motherfuckers
Cause I'm a leave a stain that you'll never forget

I said Gangstas ride (Ride with me)
Gentlemen live your life (Live it up)
Cause Gangstas die (We all gon die)
It's only a matter of time (The clock tickin)

This gangsta and this gentleman shit, is about being humble
But at the same time, let niggas know what's real
And when I say you real, I could flip
But at the same time, I could talk to a nigga at the same time
If he don't respect that, then you gotta show 'em you're gangsta
He respect that you show 'em you're gentleman
Cause you respect him as a man
That's what a gangsta and a gentleman is about