I remember growin up And all the things we went through I remember all the struggles and pains When no one cared you were there Gave me hope and you answered my prayers I remember all the struggles and pains Now its 1997 And it seems like times gone by so fast As I think of the past tears run down my eyes and I start to laugh I'm thinking about the things I did as a kid With no worries just one big family Chilling in Frisco living on Madrid Moms was a hard worker and pops was a preacher man And I give him props Cuz he tried to raise me the best two parents can Working nine to five to keep me in a private school While I was disrespecting my teachers acting like a fool I flunked the first and fifth grade And I wonder how I flunked The first time that they see my report card full of bad grades Getting suspended everyday and letters from my teachers The church keep pointing they fingers sending me to some other preacher My teachers told me I was never goin to amount to nothin Thinking as I get older I be robbing and pimping Thugging and hustling Living that playa life but I proved everybody wrong So to those who doubted me is to whom I dedicate this song I remember growin up And all the things we went through I remember all the struggles and pains When no one cared you were there Gave me hope and you answered my prayers I remember all the struggles and pains Remember the days I used to see my sister hooked on drugs Gang bangin tossin the forties Nobody but the thugs I used to cry to see my sister in that state of mind But keep your head up Jackie god said it gonna be alright Hopefully in 98 Steven gonna be back at home Had old San Quentin But if not you still got me, T-Bone Half of our homies locked up in penitentiaries And some in cemeteries all I got is memories Of when we'd kick it at the schoolyard With plain old Tims Locs and khakis Tryin to show the world we was raw Then in November 26 of 1985 My Nina passed away But yo I know she still alive Up there in heaven with the lord god bless us all Seems as you're older life can really start to take its toll I miss my friends that didn't make it to see yesterday Pour out my heart and not liquor for those that passed away I remember growin up And all the things we went through I remember all the struggles and pains When no one cared you were there Gave me hope and you answered my prayers I remember all the struggles and pains I still remember when we came home from San Jose To find our home in ashes burned down to a charcoal grey We lost everything we owned And now we in a one bedroom apartment with no heater so we freezing cold Trusted in god though And knew that he was there for us Whether it's safe and sound or times are hard and dangerous Like two years later when it happened all over again My pops was running with a cash register in his hands Tryin to survive the flames from the business that they had built My mother cried and hugged me as she wrapped me in a quilt I'm telling you it aint easy When god calls you and your family to be in the street ministry I had hopes and dreams to one day have a rap career Its 1997 I cant believe I'm finally here Now I be buyin??? And diamonds And thank the lord He blessed me with the gift of street rhymin I remember growin up And all the things we went through I remember all the struggles and pains When no one cared you were there Gave me hope and you answered my prayers I remember all the struggles and pains I remember growin up And all the things we went through I remember all the struggles and pains When no one cared you were there Gave me hope and you answered my prayers I remember all the struggles and pains