Ghetto Burbs

[Intro: Joe Budden]

Always had big dreams

Everybody had big dreams though

I ain't never wanna stay here, I had no intentions

I never had no plans

[Hook: Emanny]

Live my life

Gotta know how to survive

Just can't hide

These streets eat you alive

Ghetto burbs

Cause I'm from two different worlds

Ghetto burbs

Comin' from the ghetto burbs

[Verse 1: Joe Budden]

Ghetto burbs, I'm from the ghetto of Jerz'

From where the peddlers serve, use hand gestures for words

Big-up to LA, they was ahead of the curve

My hood we gangbang, you can get left on the curb

Yep, I was raised here, but I'm tryin' to export

Police is crooked, the strippers is escorts

Like my homie Layla, really I can't knock her

Cause she gettin' paper, month ago she was knocked up

Baby-daddy a dope-boy, fresh home he was locked up

But he on the same shit, fucked around and got shot up

In my same mind, I'm like why he even bother?

At the same time, don't know what he was a part of

Layla over the casket, tears coming harder

The hood wins again, another son with no father

Gotta take it in stride, 'round here that's the usual

But I ain't accustomed, that shit I can't get used to

I'm trying to survive

[Hook]

[Verse 2: Joe Budden]

Ghetto burbs, I'm from the ghetto of Jerz'

From where the ghetto's disturbed, you can be dead in a hearse

Say a prayer daily and end it with "better or worse"

I lost faith, but grandma still keep her head up in church

Murder rate sky-high, employment is real low

Little kid try to rap, but will he get a deal? No

Cause poverty kills slow, belief is beyond you

7 out of ever 10 bitches here got the monster

Like my little homie Tanya, I met her at Freaknik

Freak shit, the same bitch them niggas be all out in the street with

Open, in love with the service

But she got resentments you won't see from the surface

Feel like so many women look great, so she worship

Caught AIDS from rape, thought her whole life was worthless

Ho couldn't know how gorgeous her curves is

She fucking 'em raw and hope to catch it on purpose

You better survive

[Hook]

[Verse 3: Joe Budden]

Ghetto burbs, I'm from the ghetto of Jerz'

I ain't tryin' to act like my part of the ghetto's the worst

Niggas is tricks here, they'll buy stilettos for birds

How did I get here? They act like the metal don't hurt

You just getting high, guess they trying to escape it

Or commit suicide assuming they couldn't take it

The streets is cold, still we run around naked

Success is a void and we replace it with hatred

That's your homie from way back, from so many years old

But friends turn green, even that acted weird old

You think he cared? No, y'all used to share clothes

Now you struggle for rent and he got ice in his earlobes

Your man won't even extend a hand, meeting all his career goals

You need a whole 'nother plan, your career's froze

Valuables are more valuable

Than everything even value to dude

Cause you gotta survive

[Hook]

[Outro]

Coming from this ghetto burb

Coming from the ghetto babe

Gotta know how to survive, streets eat you alive

Coming from the ghetto burbs

Said the streets eat you alive, alive, yeah