Fm G7 C7
Fm C7

[Verse 1]
     Fm                             G7          C7
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
         Fm                          G7              C7
I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left
                 Bbm                       Fm
'Cause I've been blasting and laughing for so so long,
     G7                          C7
That even my mama thinks that my mind is gone
            Fm                          G7            C7
But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
      Fm                           G7               C7
Me be treated like a punk you know that's unheard of
           Bbm                             Fm
You better watch how you're talking and where you're walking
   G7                           C7
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk
  Bbm7                      Eb7
I really hate to trip but I gotta loc'
        C7                         Fm          F7
As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool
Bbm                        Bdim7
I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be like
      C7
On my knees in the night saying prayers in the streetlight

[Chorus 1]
Bbm               Fm                     C7               Fm
  Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise   (x2)

[Verse 2]
     Fm                     G7          C7
Look at the situation they got me facin'
        Fm                        G7            C7
I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the streets
     Bbm                    Fm
So I gotta be down with the hood team
         G7                         C7
Too much television watching got me chasing dreams
       Fm                 G7          C7
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind
       Fm                  G7            C7
Got my 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye
      Bbm                   Fm
I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' banger
       G7                       C7
And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger

Bbm7                      Eb7
Death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away,
           C7                    Fm       F7
I'm living life, do or die, what can I say
    Bbm                Bdim7
I'm 23 now, but will I live to see 24
    C7
The way things are going I don't know

[Chorus 2]
Bbm               Fm                     C7               Fm
  Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise   (x2)
Bbm               Fm                   C7               Fm
  Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise   (x2)

[Instrumental]
Bbm     Fm    C7       Fm
Bbm     Fm    C7       Fm

[Bridge]
        Bbm     Fm    C7       Fm
Tell me why are we so blind to see
         Bbm     Fm       C7      Fm
That the ones we hurt are you and me

[Verse 3]
Fm                   C7    Db7     C7
Power and the money, money and the power
Fm                   C7   Db7   C7
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Fm                       C7      Db7        C7
Everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking
       Fm                           C7      Db7         C7
What's going on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin'
     Fm                     C7
They say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me
   Fm                        C7
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me
  Bbm                   Fm
I guess they can't, I guess they won't
             G7                                  C7
I guess they front, that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool

[Chorus 3]
Bbm               Fm                     C7               Fm
  Been spending most their lives, living in the gangsta's paradise   (x2)
Bbm               Fm                   C7               Fm
  Keep spending most our lives, living in the gangsta's paradise   (x2)
Fm6