You Gotta Be... Lyrics - Singles - Ahmad

I used to be a stick-up kid 

Everybody in the Ghetto tell me 

Is it a lie that I must be a roughneck 

And wear a frown just to be down? 

I kinda don't agree with bein' but you gotta be 

(Tough, rough) 

It's either you claimin' your hood or you're not a gee 

Forget about respect, I refuse to be the next guy 

Fitted for a casket, either with it or get blasted 

I choose to gang bang, they give me a chrome-plated trigger 

Say, if you got any heart, go rob that Mini-Mart, nigga 

Now look what I done did, damn I had to be the big man 

They're lookin' at me shifty, better shut up 'fore I get slammed 

Man, I'm not a thief, good grief and I don't wanna act hard 

But then they said if I didn't do it, they was gonna gat, far as I could see 

(I was gonna be) 

The next new member of the crew, 'cause it's 8 of them and 1 of me 

I don't wanna do it, but I will 

'Cause I still want folks to think that I'm hard and tough 

'Cause you gotta be 

(Rough) 

'Cause you gotta be 

(Tough) 

'Cause you gotta be 

(Rough) 

(I used to be a stick-up kid) 

Well, it's the Niggeroe again, right back in where I left off 

Still tryin' to make a decision, I might go to prison if I don't step off 

But if I don't rob this store, then I'm not sure 

If I'm gonna be considered as a gee and you gotta be 

(Rough) 

Cuffs are temporary, homies are for life 

So, I grab the deuce-deuce and go inside 

I decide to prove in the Mini-Mart, don't nobody move 

Start fillin' up the paper sack with loot, or I might shoot 

But things didn't go as planned, 'cause this man had his own gun 

We're standin' toe to toe, eye to eye, so I figured why not 

Pull the trigger? Put this nigga on the ground 

It'll show that I had poise, then my boy'll know I'm down 

But I didn't do it quick enough or he thought of it first 

'Cause he blasted to the chest and now I'm restin' yellin', "Nurse" 

And holdin' on to life or at least tryin' to hold on in a jailward wearin' cuffs 

'Cause I had to be 

(Rough) 

'Cause you gotta be 

(Tough) 

'Cause you gotta be 

(Rough) 

(I used to be a stick-up kid) 

And everybody, everybody gotta be rough, y'all 

(I used to be a stick-up kid) 

And everybody, everybody gotta be tough, y'all 

(I used to be a stick-up kid) 

Well, that's the end of my tale, but before we know 

Fools'll just forget what I said and the story go 

On and on, until you're up to no good and back throwin' up your hood 

And still doin' what you shouldn't 

Niggeroe, come together, 'cause divided we fall 

So, stall that gang shit, stand up quit standin' in handcuffs 

Really hard's when you got loot and you ain't gotta shoot 

Damn man, enough is enough 

So, why you gotta be 

(Rough) 

'Cause you gotta be 

(Tough) 

'Cause you gotta be 

(Rough) 

(I used to be a stick-up kid)