I’ve Been Down

Real niggas
(Let's make this official, baby)
Real before rappin
Respect before success

[Chorus: Harm]
I've been down
For oh so long
Starin' at these prison walls

I want you to...
Step in my 1-5-0s for a minute
Step in my shoes
Walk in my shoes
Yeah
Just want you to see things like how I see em
You know
This is for all my niggas locked up
Check it out

Bottom bunk, sleepin' in a 2 man cell
C.O. at my do', and I'm mad as hell
Punk police cowboy from Texas
Talkin some shit 'bout servin' breakfast
It's 5:15, he must be psycho
Or just plain stupid for thinkin' I might go
I cussed him out, he gave me distance
But pressed his body alarm for quick assistance
Now these muthafuckas wanna do it the rough way
Five C.O.'s is what it takes to cuff Dre
Straight to the hole, but it ain't no thang
My celly got dank so I'm Kool And The Gang
See the L.T. for the disposition
28 days commissary restriction
Two days later back on the main line
Dopefiend's owe, so I go claim mine
25 cartons, now I'm straight
Keep 17, give the homeboys 8
Cop some hop, start back boomin'
Got em sendin' money on the Western Union
2 fat grams of that china white
Gon' have these dopefiends tryin to fight
Grabbed 3 cartons to goose some dank
And 5 whole packs for some hooch to drink
Now I'm chillin' in my cell lookin out the window
Drinkin' pruno, smokin' indo
Grabbed my shank, but when I'm finsta' bounce
They lock a nigga down for Census count
Look at jack books while I'm waitin'
Might even do a little masturbatin'
Trippin' off that bitch Dominique
I bust one quick while my celly sleep
Doors rack open, now it's time for movement
Goddamn pruno got a nigga too bent
Bounce to the movies with my homies
The title sound good but the shit was phony
Damn cigarettes won't let me breathe
Niggas gettin' restless, wantin' to leave
The lights flash on, quick as fuck
Somebody in the bathroom just got stuck
If he makes it, he'll be lucky
Six-inch blade stuck straight in gutry
25 cops rush the spot
Now I got one-time on my jock
Stash my shank underneath the seat
And make sure no blood is on my feet
Punk police wanna take me down
They put me on the wall and they shake me down
Now it's back to the block strapless
But I got two mo' in my mattress
One mo' time I peep the cops
Fuckin' with them boys from Grape Street, Watts
I said, "Punk muthafucka, won't you leave 'em the hell alone"
Down to the third tier and got on the telephone
Called my bitch, but she showed me no love
Got on the phone, shot me a cold look
She said she can't talk, she got a sore throat
But she probably gettin' fucked by a sport coat
I'm goin' through it

Yeah
Y'all real niggas know

[Chorus (repeated over Mac Dre talking)]
I've been down
Oh so long
Starin' at these prison walls
It's the same ol' song

Yeah, muthafucka
I done been there and back boy
I could tell you the story from rags to riches
How I did time with fags and snitches
That's real
It's really real
It's no drama
It's really real
Mac Dre, boy
Yeah
Y'all niggas better go to school
Tryna fuck with this nigga here, man
It's the real
Yeah
Big Dant
Freaky D
Baby Rah
T-Endo
My niggas
Ty-Ty
Doin' that federal shit

Freak
Freak, don't worry about nothin', man

Let me hear that back