Gang Starr

Released: June 24, 2003

Featuring: Uncle Reo Snoop Dogg

Songwriter: Guru Snoop Dogg Uncle Reo DJ Premier

Producer: DJ Premier Guru

* all (sung parts) in [Hook] performed by Uncle Reo

[DJ Premier]
Word up
Aiyyo Rome' (yo)
Yo life ain't what it's cracked up to be these days, y'knahmean?

[Rome]
Word! Knahmsayin?
Life hard out this muh'fucker, y'knahmsayin?

[DJ Premier]
So you gotta make the best of a bad situation, and hold your head

[Rome]
Knahmsayin? You gotta progress through the struggle man

[Hook]
[Guru] In this life.. (ohhh, this life)
[DJ P] "You better wake up"
[Guru] In this life.. (talkin bout this life)
[DJ P] "R-R-Remember this"
[Guru] In this life.. (whoah-ohhh)
[DJ P] "S-S-Survival of the fittest" - Nas
[Guru] In this life..
[DJ P] "I go all out" - "Y'knahmsayin?"

[Verse One: Guru]
From New York to Cali it remains the same
Bitch niggas always wanna go against the grain
The strong will survive, the weak shall perish
Y'all need more courage, I keep y'all nourished
Get in line, I let you know right now
You need to slow right down or you get blown right now
From what I see it's systematic how we push to addicts
Demographics make the street life hell or drastic
In the hood we see oppressive genocide
Cause if it's on it's on, you know at least 10 men'll ride
But on the other side, corruption runs deep
I'm aware of the conspiracies, discussion is brief
They're building more prisons, spendin less on schools
On the block Smith & Wess-ons and Teflons rule
It's hard to escape it, certain laws are sacred
In this life my nigga, it's mad hard to make it

[Hook]
[Guru] In this life..
[Dogg] Money is key
[Dogg] And everybody you see ain't what they claim to be
[Guru] In this life..
[Dogg] I try to do right
[Dogg] I live a treacherous life, I know I ain't right, mm
[Guru] In this life..
[Dogg] You got to keep on
[Dogg] You got to be strong, you got to hold on
[Guru] In this life, heh, I come in peace
[Guru] But still yo, I come from the streets

[Verse Two: Snoop Dogg]
This one's for my sons and my lil' daughter
Peace to JMJ and my nigga HeadQCourterz
A Gang Starr with a gangster, on a mission
World Premier, limited edition
My mind keeps driftin cause I haven't had a spliff in
A long time, I'm doin fine, I feel terrific
I bop up the street, C-walk to the beat
It's cold outdoors, so I got to keep some heat
I never know when a cutthroat gon' try to test me
Disrespect me, things could get messy
Yes he, shoot a good game, like James
I mean Jesse, watch out nigga, heavens to Betsies
The big drum beater
With a car full of heaters and some fly senoritas
In some Stacy's or some Chucks, cause I gotsta keep it G'd up
Run up on the Dogg man you bound to get beat up

[Hook]
[Guru] In this life.. (ohhh, this life, I'm tryin to make it better)
[DJ P] "You better wake up"
[Guru] In this life.. (I won't have to struggle no mo', no I won't)
[DJ P] "R-R-Remember this"
[Guru] In this life.. (ohhh, this life, this life)
[DJ P] "S-S-Survival of the fittest" - Nas
[Guru] In this life.. (tryin to make it better, yes I am)

[Outro: Uncle Reo]
Ooooohhh, talkin bout this life
WhoahhhOHHHHHHHHHH, this life, this life.. *fades out*

Gang Starr is the formidable hip-hop duo of MC Guru and producer DJ Premier.

The group was originally founded by two childhood friends, Big Shug and Guru, in Atlanta; coming up with the logo design and name of the group. Big Shug and Guru got separated when Shug got imprisoned and Guru moved to New York where he met Dj Premier.

While DJ Premier is from Texas and the monotone Guru is from Boston, they came together in Brooklyn, New York, and helped define the sound of East Coast hip-hop in the 1990s with their jazzy production on singles such as “Words I Manifest” and “Jazz Thing,” as well as their harder boom bap singles like “Just to Get a Rep” and “Take it Personal.”

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