I Remember

When I was a kid, I rode crates on a skate
And I ate everything mama put on my plate
Niggas walked around packin' BB guns
Knock on your door and run just for fun
We went to the sto' and sold bottles fo' a nickel
To feast upon a big bag of Cheetos and a pickle
You could get a soda for less than quarter and
People used to speak even if they didn't know ya
We fought in the streets like little black soldiers
Shake hands, and still be friends when it was over
We used to play tag and hide and go seek, or
Hide and go get it if we had a few freaks, but
Now things changed, kids ain't the same
They bang, and slang, and blow out brains
I wish I could go back but wishin' is for suckers
Life was so simple then

I remember (I remember), oh, when we used to hang
On the porch, drinkin' brew, but now they drive-by (baby)
I remember (I remember), oh, when we used to play
Shoot 'em up, up and down, but now they gang-bang (baby)

Well, I remember yesteryear like it was yesterday
Runnin' through the streets of Monessan, P-A
I take you through my childhood, step by step
Daddy always told me to maintain my rep though
Daddy was a dog, he ain't raise no punks
In the midst of the trees, we learned how to thump
At the tender age of nine, mama put us on a plane
Next stop, the land of the insane
Compton, California, where the killers grow
Forced to live a life that I didn't know
Wore the wrong colors 'cause I didn't know the facts
Call her bitch, caught a case, caught a slug in my back
But I adapted quickly, suckers tried to get me
Now the fools better run 'cause this just drive-by Billy
Little black boy from the East
Forced to be a killer, but I can still remember

I remember (I remember), oh, when we used to play
Dominoes on the porch, but now they drive-by (baby)
I remember (I remember), oh, when we used to have
Army fights in the smog, but now they gang-bang (baby)

Back when I was a kid, nigga
We used to have this game called paperball
(Paperball? What the fuck is that?)
Get a piece of paper, ball that motherfucker up
And play with it, hahaha

I got the alcoholic juice to wake ya up like a rooster
Back when I was young, I used to be a booster
Stealin' candy from the store, go to school, come up
I had the whole playground chewin' all my gum up
You know what I'm sayin? Playin still to the chest
And I was the best, playin' kickball at recess
I play Pop Warner, golden pairs, wasn't losers
We used to hop corners on the fresh deuce cruisers
Playin' Galaga, Space Invaders, eatin' Reese's
I had all the women 'cause my tough skins had creases
And it's been that way since day one
Girls of the world ain't nothin but fun
I used to watch Dr. J come through in the clutch
Remember New Zoo Review and Starsky and Hutch?
I remember lunchtime, we used to rhyme out loud
Peace to the Wop and the hip-hop crowd, I remember

I remember (I remember), oh, when we used to hang
On the porch, drinkin' brew, but now they drive-by (baby)
I remember (I remember), oh, when we used to play
Shoot 'em up, up and down, but now they gang-bang (baby)

Oh, my life, no, no
I do remember, oh
I know you do
I remember yesterday
I remember when we played
I remember yesterday, ow
I remember, hell, when we used to play
In ghetto blocks through the dark
I remember when we
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
We used to play dominoes all night long
Dominoes all night long
Yesterday, yesterday
Do you remember yesterday? I remember yesterday
You remember, remember, remember, remember