Released: July 11, 2000

Featuring: Dyme

Producer: P Killer Trackz

[Intro]
Live and learn
Life's a lesson (life is a lesson)
And I'm the teacher

[Hook]
First I'm gonna crawl, uh (crawl)
Then I'm gonna walk, uh huh (walk)
Then I'm gonna stand, uh huh (stand)
Then I'm gonna talk, uh (talk)
What I gotta learn, what (learn)
In order to teach, (teach)
Then I gotta burn (burn)
In order to reach (reach), my nigga

[Verse 1]
Yo, I see what I see, day by day
Hopin that the Lord can, pave my way
Have I been forgotten, have I forsaken
Or maybe I'm just wrong with the moves that I've been makin
Hatin others cuz they hate me, over envy
Wanna send me, when we used to be friendly
Think I started off on top? With two platinum albums?
Naw dog, I started off on the block
I just did shit to get shit
Niggas always knew I was down to hit shit
That's why I stay wit shit
Played with shit, but it wasn't a game
First time locked down, wasn't the same
A whole new world, nothin but clothes to steal
Niggas gettin split for real, miss a good meal
They ain't call nobody, cuz don't nobody care
They got my back against the wall, fuck it I'm just here

[Hook]
First I'm gonna crawl
Then I'm gonna walk
Then I'm gonna stand
Then I'm gonna talk
What I gotta learn?
In order to teach
Then I gotta burn
In order to reach, (my nigga)

[Verse 2]
Dog it's like this, when the fog is type thick
A nigga might flip, and a nigga bite quick
But I stay focused on what's important
Supportin my family, fuckin with my dogs and recording
According to the man upstairs, we all got our own problems
So you, stop worryin about theirs
I'm long time ago, look awake, cuz he'll leave you
I hear none, speak none, see none, evil
All I can do is teach you, what I know
How I flow, how I get down, where I go
Maybe what I been through, will send you
Somewhere, other then where, dreams all out the window
I love my people, all of my people
And God gon keep me callin my people
You gots to live life to the fullest
It ain't always about the size of the gun, sometimes it's the bullet

[Hook]
First I'm gonna crawl
Then I'm gonna walk
Then I'm gonna stand
Then I'm gonna talk
What I gotta learn?
In order to teach
Then I gotta burn
In order to reach, (my nigga)

[Verse 3]
Every day we live and learn, take it step by step
And we create our own path, until there's no life left
I hold my death, off for as long as I can
Knowin my man, is plottin with the chrome in his hand
Supposed to be fam, but niggas get shady over money
My nigga, pull out the 380 over money
Crazy over money, can't do without it
I got other shit to deal with, I'm like forget about it
It's the one I don't know but must teach that comes first
Because he comes with the thirst of a nigga that had it the worst
It's like a curse that's to be lifted, he was there but he gripped it
Got a call and he shifted, once he found out he was gifted
Gotta kick it from the heart, and I hope you got it
It was there from the start, I just hope you spot it
Cuz it's my blood on paper, my soul on paper
Words to live by will leave a hole in the paper

[Hook]
First I'm gonna crawl
Then I'm gonna walk
Then I'm gonna stand
Then I'm gonna talk
What I gotta learn?
In order to teach
Then I gotta burn
In order to reach, (my nigga)

DMX

Earl Simmons better known by his stage name DMX (An acronym for DarkMan X) rose to fame in the late 1990’s.

His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80’s.

To date, his best-selling album is his 1999 album …And Then There Was X, which featured the hit single “Party Up (Up in Here)”.