You Gotta Be...

(I used to be a stick-up kid) --> Rakim<br><br>[ VERSE 1 ]<br>Everybody in the ghetto tell me... <br>Is it a lie that I must be a ruffneck<br>And wear a frown just to be down?<br>I kinda don`t agree with bein (tough)<br>But you gotta be (rough)<br>It`s either you claimin your hood, or you`re not a gee<br>Forget about respect, I refuse to be the next guy<br>Fitted for a casket, either with it, or get blasted<br>I choose to gangbang, they give me a chrome-plated trigger<br>Say, "If you got any heart, go rob that Mini-Mart, nigga"<br>Now look what I done did, damn, I had to be the big man<br>They`re lookin at me shifty, better shut up `fore I get slammed<br>Man, I`m not a thief, good grief, and I don`t wanna act hard<br>But then they said if I didn`t do it, they was gonna gat, far<br>As I could see (I was gonna be)<br>The next new member of the crew, cause it`s 8 of them and 1 of me<br>I don`t wanna do it, but I will <br>Cause I still want folks to think that I`m hard and tough<br>Cause you gotta be (rough)<br>Cause you gotta be (tough)<br>Cause you gotta be (rough)<br>(I used to be a stick-up kid)<br><br>[ VERSE 2 ]<br>Well, it`s the niggeroe, again, right back in where I left off<br>Still tryin to make a decision, I might go to prison if I don`t step off<br>But if I don`t rob this store, then I`m not sure<br>If I`m gonna be considered as a gee<br>And you gotta be (rough)<br>Cuffs are temporary, homies are for life<br>So I grab the deuce-deuce and go inside<br>I decide to prove in the Mini-Mart, "Don`t nobody move<br>Start fillin up the paper sack with loot, or I might shoot"<br>But things didn`t go as planned, cause this man had his own gun<br>We`re standin toe to toe, eye to eye, so I figured why not <br>Pull the trigger? Put this nigga on the ground<br>It`ll show that I had poise, then my boy`ll know I`m down<br>But I didn`t do it quick enough, or he thought of it first<br>Cause he blasted to the chest, and now I`m restin yellin, "Nurse!"<br>And holdin on to life, or at least tryin to hold on<br>In a jailward wearin cuffs<br>Cause I had to be (rough)<br>Cause you gotta be (tough)<br>Cause you gotta be (rough)<br>(I used to be a stick-up kid)<br><br>And everybody, everybody gotta be rough, y`all<br>(I used to be a stick-up kid)<br>And everybody, everybody gotta be tough, y`all<br>(I used to be a stick-up kid)<br><br>[ VERSE 3 ]<br>Well, that`s the end of my tale, but before we know<br>Fools`ll just forget what I said, and the story go<br>On and on, until you`re up to no good<br>And back throwin up your hood <br>And still doin what you shouldn`t <br>Niggeroes, come together, cause divided we fall<br>So stall that gang shit, stand up<br>Quit standin in handcuffs <br>Really hard`s when you got loot <br>And you ain`t gotta shoot<br>Damn man, enough is enough <br>So why you gotta be (rough)<br>Cause you gotta be (tough)<br>Cause you gotta be (rough)<br>(I used to be a stick-up kid)