On a Hot97 show, Tyler the Creator tells Rosenberg about how Vince Staples recognizes the greatness of Ray J. “Without Ray J there is no game”. And then he mentions this song, which is actually an amazing storytelling song. Vince Staples goes on to say “Everything that we love is directly related to...
(Intro)
{Yeah, yeah}
{Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah}
(Verse One)
I was just a young boy
Raised out in Carson
Ambla Elementary
Principal Dr. Larson
Me and my godbrotha
Tyrin Davis
Walkin down the hallways
He got all the ladies
I was just a nappy head
Livin on the 9 block
'ready went to Bedcross
I was at the chronic spot
Did a lil' rooster
And my homey shantwain-
And the homey Big B
Put me on the game
The big homey solo
Told me not to bang
He told me don't put
My career to a shame
But I did, anyway
And I got in trouble but
I had the hookup on the hundred dolla double ups
My nigga E-dog... he had the flow
And when I snuck out my window
I used to go smoke up his endo
Oh
(Hook)
Cen...ter...view
{I grew up in the little town called}
Cen... {oh yea} ter...view {oh, yes I did}
{I did a little bit of dirt in}
Cen...ter...{oh, yes I did} view
{aww yes I did}
(Verse Two)
My dad was always at Church
Working in his office
And my cousin Ryan got a
Scholarship to college
Everything start happening
All so quick- fast
I got on a TV show
And started to make cash
My sister's on the radio
Banging through the stereo
I remember when we used to go
Skate at Skate Depot
Damn those were the days
Things just ain't the same
And to my little homey D-O
You gotta be careful in this game
(Hook)
Cen...ter {oh yes you do}...view
{Listen, I was raised in a little town called}
Cen... {oh} ter... {yea} view {you see}
{I did a little dirt in}
Cen {in} ...ter...{in, in} view
{in Centerview, ay ay ay...}
(Bridge)
Guess who I do it back
So all I do is that
So how I'm giving back
Put my city on the map
That's why I do it back
First time I held this track
So how I'm giving back
Put my city on the map
(Verse Three)
In Cen...ter...view
Oh, I used to take the circuit bus
To the Carson mall
To go buy cans of spray paint to
Hit up on the walls
I was young and dumb
I was livin' crazy
But thank God for my family, cuz
Man they really saved me, yeah
{Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh}
To everybody in my city
That remembers good times, oh oh
{Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh}
I took a ride back to Carson
Just to hug a few friends, oh oh
{Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh}
You see, I know I can get you chillin
On the block around ten, Oh oh
{Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh}
Ay, And all the soldiers that didn't go
Who are locked up in the pen
Woah...
In Centerview, Yeah
Woah... woah...
Well homey, this one's for you
(Hook)
Cen...{you, you}ter...view
{You see, I was raised in a little town called}
Cen... {oh yea, yea} ter... view
{haha and uh- I did a little dirt in}
Cen {oh}...ter...{ooh} view
Cen...ter...view
Cen...ter...view
Cen...ter...view
(Bridge)
Guess who I do it back
So all I do is that
So how I'm giving back
Put my city on the map
That's why I do it back
First time I held this track
So how I'm giving back
Put my city on the map
East side up
West Coast
I'm out
Centerview was produced by Detail.
Ray J released Centerview on Tue Sep 20 2005.