Cradle To The Grave (Original Version)

{crying of new born child}

[Intro :2Pac] {faint sound}

From the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave

[Verse 1: 2Pac]

June 16th, 1971

Mama gave birth to a Hell-raising heavenly son

See the doctor tried to smack me but I smacked him back

My first words was, "Thug for life" and "Papa, pass the MAC"

I'm busting on these motherfuckers balling

Listen you can hear my mini fourteen calling

From out the window of my drop top, I got my Glock cocked

Busting at niggas, when will it stop?

Now tell me are you scared of the dark? Can't close my eyes I see visions

And even with this thug living will I escape prison?

Penitentiary chances was an all day thang

The only way to advance; and if you slang

Then you'd better have yo' Nikes on

Cause when we fight it's in the middle of the night with no lights on, hey!!

There must be a God cause I feel lucky

Paranoid out my mind cause motherfuckers tryna rush me

Am I going to jail? Look at me bailing

Coming out the court house, all about my mail and bank

Never, never die I'll be a hustler, motherfuckers

And making thugs out you suckers from the cradle to the grave

[Hook]

Things wouldn't have been so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

Things..

[Verse 2: Mopreme]

From the cradle to the grave since a little bitty child

I've been known to get ill and kinda buck wild

Pop pop! Just like the part that's in my walk with street talk

I'm running up the block in the dark where lead spark

Surveillance on a nigga every day

Waiting on my daddy just to take his ass away

Now Mama always working tryna make ends meet

So now a young nigga's being raised by the streets

And then the only other one that ever showed me love

Was my dope fiend uncle strung out on drugs

A straight thug, just me, my mama out here on our own

So I got two gats,one black and one of chrome

Now I don't wanna hurt nobody but I must defend mine!

It's all the fuck I got, so stop and walk a thin line

Young niggas be brave

And keep on thugging from the cradle to the grave

From the cradle to the grave

[Hook]

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

[Verse 3: The Rated R]

From the cradle to the grave, I'm glad to say, I made it this far

Many G's died hogs and all they got was they name hit up on a wall

It's sad thinking about the times

Life goes on, I'm steady lost in this land

That's the war zone, I gots no home, don't have no friends neither

It's just me by my lonely so I married my Nina

I keeps her wherever I go, I love my ho

Never leave home with out my sugar, I'm have to plug a nigga

Mama told me not to trust no punks

And kick his ass if he lay a hand on me since then I been knowing

Sometimes I think my own self stupid

Cause I stay shooting at marks, get twisted up in police reports

Since the cradle, I've been ungrateful

My first toy was a gun I got sprung and learned to love weapons

But now I'm through with money, and through with street fame

Somebody peeled my cap, and put me in my grave

[Hook]

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

Things..

[Verse 4: Macadoshis]

March 18th, a rainy day my mama gave birth

To a baby boy trapped in hell on Earth

From day one it wasn't fun I never had a crumb

Daddy worked two jobs and Mama won't stop drinkin' rum

I tried to cope loc, but my family's broke

And my pocket's short so now I got ta slang dope

In the game filled with pain it's a fuckin' shame

The white man got a motherfucker slangin' 'caine

So now it's on from dusk to dawn I'm gettin' my serve on

Always in the spot with my Glock slingin' rocks at the Rox

The shit don't stop, I'm steady dodgin' cops

I never flip-flop, hear my Glock cock, thug 'til I drop

And if I hit the pen I gotta do my time

Sittin' on my bunk reminiscin' bout the good times

It's fucked up a nigga gotta grow up doin' dirt

But from the cradle to the grave I'mma put in work

[Hook]

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

Awww from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

[Verse 5: Big Syke]

Time's movin' fast, will I last another day?

So I pray and I lay with my A-K

Did I sell my soul as a young kid?

All the things I did wishin' someone held me but they never did

I can't take it, will I make it to my older age?

Before I'm shot up or locked up in a fuckin' cage

Lord help me, guide me, save me!

Cause that's the way that Daddy raised me, crazy

Do or die, nigga pull the trigger don't give a fuck

You'd rather be in jail than get yo' ass bucked

Nobody cares, it's me against the world

Keepin' murder on my mind and my Tec-9

I got nothin' to lose, payin' dues, nigga you wanna die?

I get high and then my mission is a walk-by

You'd better jet when I hit your set cause I'm comin'

Start runnin' yellin' "evil mind" as I'm gunnin'

One in the chamber for the anger that I build inside

For the mothers that cried, for my homies that died

The beginning is an ending, am I just a slave?

So I got to be brave from the cradle to the grave

[Hook + Outro]

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

Awww ([?] never [?]) from the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin'

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

From the cradle to the grave I've been strugglin' (awww)

Things wouldn't be so bad

If we got the thangs that we never had

Give up some times to come up [] something

{crying of new born child}