Released: August 24, 1999

Featuring: Harve ‘Joe Hooker’ Pierre Nas Lil’ Kim Beanie Sigel

Songwriter: Harve ‘Joe Hooker’ Pierre Diddy Lil’ Kim Nas Beanie Sigel Carlos “6 July” Broady Nashiem Myrick

Producer: Carlos “6 July” Broady Diddy Nashiem Myrick

[Intro: Puff Daddy & Nas]
Yo, yo (uh huh)
Gangsta, gangsta
Gangsta, yo (that's right)
Journey through the life of some real niggas
Some real niggas
(You'll never see what I've seen)

[Verse 1: Puff Daddy]
When I sleep I dream of, bodies in streams of blood
Naked bitches, dead nigga's ghost
Feds with toast knockin' my door down, sweat poor down
My body roast from the heat, so I soak my sheets
Wake up shiverin', pull my hoe close to me, she sexy
Every night is different pussy since my girl left me
And I tried to make her stay with me, but I stay busy
And her friends are cut-throats, they deep throat to lay with me
I reminisce how I miss her and stare into space
Resort to the lips of a stripper, sprayin' their face
Lampin' in a mansion, home alone
I hear footsteps, shit I kicks just not lyrics
I hold a fifth, wonderin' if ten shots can stop spirits
If niggas try to rob me, then I won't hear it
Cause it's different from the streets, I'm missin' my hood now
Missin' all the blocks 'cause I'm surrounded by woods now
It's supposed to be good now
It's like a walking tightrope and can't look down, fire below me
Now the fantasies I have for women are unholy
Success, thousand dollar bottles impress
Models with fat ass and big breasts
Floor seats, Knicks vs. Nets, private jets
Millionaire heir to Antigua, with Ananda, the MTV diva
Nas, how do we survive all this mess? (I didn't survive)
East vs. West the rap game where words became flesh
A whole pound of herb won't desolve my stress
Still I ride to the death, love hip hop
Cause Afrikabababa was def, a lot of respect
Feel Me? Fuck to the rock Sean John jury
I got the same hands of crap platinum and the crap pyramids
Write about the black experience, sell it to Marimax
Tell me if you feelin' that

[Chorus: Lil' Kim & Joe Hooker]
Take a journey through the life of these real niggas
The things that they seen it would thrill niggas
If you've seen what they've seen, you would wonder
Through the rain and the pain and the thunder
By the time that you realized that it's goin' down
You may find yourself going underground
When they see that this life is upon us
We would see that there's no one that we can trust

[Verse 2: Beanie Sigel]
You can never see what I see, motherfucker
Beanie Sigel, the realest nigga from the streets was taught
Stay cased up nigga, stay deep in court
Reminiscin' on that cold cell, deep in thought
Gettin' skinny, couldn't eat, cause the meat was pork
Ya'll niggas couldn't live my life, I've been through it
Stretched up in hospital beds, fed fluid
Two bullets hit my leg, one passed through it
Saw the blood and the hole in my calf, looked through it
My life's no joke, I don' played dice with soap
Upstate the case niggas slice your throat
Wear your boxers in the shower when you guard your soap
I done seen the biggest niggas in the yard get broke
I done took blocks to war, took blocks for fall
Took blocks to Wall for blocks of raw
What you think .33 in the Glock is for?
Black fatigues, skullies and binoculars
C4, block your doors, niggas can't stop this war
I show you faggots what this Swatz' is for
Hidding spots in the door for the Glocks is for
Read the papers, '94 I took the cops to war
Half of ya'll niggas livin' a lie
Only reason why you switchin' up your jewelry?
Cause you keep gettin' robbed
I looked that nigga in the eyes before I send him to God
Beanie Sigel, Desert Eagle, realest nigga alive

[Chorus: Lil' Kim & Joe Hooker]
Take a journey through the life of these real niggas
The things that they seen it would thrill niggas
If you've seen what they've seen, you would wonder
Through the rain and the pain and the thunder
By the time that you realized that it's goin' down
You may find yourself going underground
When they see that this life is upon us
We would see that there's no one that we can trust

[Verse 3: Nas]
Ayo, ayo, gangsta, gangsta
The Bible has words that Christ wrote, evil men sacrifice goats
I speak all my life under oath
Since a kid, troublesome
Throwin' shit at little girls jump ropes
Bustin' BB guns at stray cats, that was way back
Watched it die, covered in flies
Then I picked up a stick, try to dig in its eyes
Makin' dirt pies, na, being buggy-eyed shit
And every other nigga that rap, sound like my shit
I wear chrome .45's with ice on the grip
I don't shoot it, I roll with killers and criminals
With heroin habits they picked up from the penile
They let you have it, all I do is give them a smile
Lifestyle of the realest, you ain't ruthless you bitch
I got a pine box just your size, I know it fit
Your whole life's a mistake, stop holdin' the pen
Kill yourself, come back as a man over again
Cause in this lifetime I'm reigning, slay men
Leave your whole body cold
Your nails grow long, you get gray skin
May this nigga rest in peace, Amen
I run with brave men, straight out the housin', we wildin'
Names engraved in the pavement
Brick buildings, grown ladies jump off the roof
Nigga get paged, then murdered at the phonebooth
New York streets made me nigga, it's crazy nigga

[Chorus: Lil' Kim & Joe Hooker]
Take a journey through the life of these real niggas
The things that they seen it would thrill niggas
If you've seen what they've seen, you would wonder
Through the rain and the pain and the thunder
By the time that you realized that it's goin' down
You may find yourself going underground
When they see that this life is upon us
We would see that there's no one that we can trust

Diddy

Sean “Diddy” Combs (also known as Puff Daddy, Puffy, Sean John, and P. Diddy) is a recording artist, record producer, entrepreneur, and actor from Harlem, New York.

He started in the music business as an intern and talent director at Uptown Records under his mentor Andre Harrell. While at Uptown, Puffy helped launch the careers of R&B superstars Jodeci and Mary J. Blige. After he was fired from Uptown, Puff started his Bad Boy Entertainment label in 1993 as a joint venture with Clive Davis' Arista Records. His first artists were Craig Mack and The Notorious B.I.G., with Mack releasing the hit “Flava In Ya Ear” before Biggie hit with his Ready To Die album. Following their success, Puff went on to sign successful R&B artists such as Faith Evans, 112, and Total, as well as rappers Ma$e and The LOX.

Puff Daddy was an in-demand producer, working with acts such as Usher, TLC, Jay-Z, Lil Kim, and Boyz II Men among others before he decided to become an artist himself. He released his first album, No Way Out on July 1, 1997, a few months after Biggie was killed in Los Angeles on March 9th. The single “I’ll Be Missing You” was created as a tribute—it debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the chart for 11 weeks. The album was a multi-platinum success and won the Best Rap Album Grammy Award in 1998.