1. Home
  2. Too $hort
  3. Too $hort Songs
  4. So You Want to Be a Gangster

So You Want to Be a GangsterToo $hort

Released: December 31, 1991

Songwriter: Too $hort Richie Rich Grover Washington Jr.

Producer: Ant Banks

[Verse 1]
So you want to be a gangster, all that shit
Smoke any motherfucker, don't even trip
You be hard as hell, take whatever you want
Punk suckers wanna front, they get done
'Cause you a gangster—nothin' more, nothin' less
Put my boy to the test and catch one in your chest
Since he was young, homeboy won't back down
'Cause real gangsters always hold that frown
Until you lose control, then you sell your soul
To the devil, motherfucker, 'cause you're way too cold
And all the people hide and just run inside
'Cause you keep usin' yo' gat, committin' homicide
Boy, I tell ya, life is way too short
Another brother just got smoked
And you killed him—ain't that a bitch?
'Cause it really ain't shit

[Hook]
(Gangsta, gangsta)
Shoot 'em up! (gangsters)
That ain't cool (gangsters)
Ain't that a bitch? (gangsters)
Shoot 'em up (gangsters)
That ain't cool (gangsters)

[Verse 2]
Let me tell you somethin', youngster, you got it all wrong
Gangsters don't live that long
I had gangster partners get they heads tore off
For some of that gangster shit, caught in the cross
You want stripes, take yo' ass to the service
'Cause when it's on, ain't no time to get nervous
Pull the trigger—yeah, you did it
You's a gangster and I got to admit it
But you's a youngbuck, you ain't learned yet
Killin' don't make you a vet
Get out the fast line, stick with the homeboys
Ready-made gangster get gone, boy
'Cause where I'm from it's the same ol' shit
You call them shots when you're down with the click
Niggas dyin' everyday, but that's a black thang
You either sell dope or you gangbang
But you got the biggest heart in the click, man
You did a murder, and now you're a hitman
All your homies tryin' to tell you, that ain't cool
Playin' shoot 'em up like a fuckin fool
But you's a gangster, one they can't destroy
Don't even give a fuck about your boys
You go for self, you wanna be on top?
Fucked around and now your brother's shot

[Hook]
(Gangsta)
Shoot 'em up! (gangsters)
That ain't cool (gangsters)
Ain't that a bitch? (gangsters)
Shoot 'em up (gangsters)
That ain't cool (gangsters)

Too $hort

Todd Anthony Shaw, better known as Too $hort, is a rapper, producer and actor from Oakland, California. He and his family moved up to Oakland from Los Angeles in the early 1980s, and he established himself as an artist selling “special request” custom tapes, leading into his first official album Don’t Stop Rappin' on the independent 75 Girls label.

He got a major label deal with Jive Records, first releasing his album Born To Mack before going on to release a number of albums and popular singles such as “Gettin' It,” “Shake That Monkey,” “Blow the Whistle,” “The Ghetto,” “I’m a Player” and many more in his career spanning over 30 years.

more tracks from the album

Juice (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

From the albums
Too $hort popular songs

2021 © gotlyric.com