[Akon]. How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets. How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat. You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way. Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way. [Flashy Verse 1]. How many blacks gotta die by the hands of another. Don't you understand that man's the same color so that man is your brother. That's what happens when that man is from the gutter. And that man is a hustler trying to survive moving grams of that butter. See his momma was a dope fiend poppa was a rolling stone. He never knew what family was he grew up in a broken home. Ever since twelve years old he was known as grown. 'cause ever since twelve years old he was on his own. And even though it seemed like school was the best. plan. His only choice was distributing the rock like. Def-jam. While everybody else was getting diplomas. He graduated from the middle of the strip to the. corner. But I don't knock him cause he tryin to bubble. There's no food on the table the rents past due and that's why he hustles. And I ain't sayin that it`s right to be dealin`. All I'm sayin is I feel him I guess. I just see eye 2 eye wit his struggle you know. [Akon]. How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets. How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat. You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way. Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way. [Flashy Verse 2]. Now baby girl's got a promising future. But her mom`s passed away while she was younger and her father's a loser. He'd always abused her but what else you expect from a coward. He wasn't even proud when she got accepted to Howard. And even though she loves college everyday it would stress her. But it wasn't cause of exams or she hate her. professor. It was her financial situation here she couldn't pay a semester. And the only means of making it better was totally. reversing the role. Lap dancing working that pole even though deep down it`s hurting her soul. And even if it meant taking off her clothes. She was down for what ever to help her accomplish her personal goals. And I ain't trippin off a-how shortie livin. She gotta pay her tuiton put food in the kitchen and that's why she strippin. And I ain't sayin I agree with her job but shit times is hard. I guess I just see eye to eye with her vision you. know. [Akon]. How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets. How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat. You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way. Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way. [Flashy Verse 3]. Now see the moral of the story is this. If you ain't tryin to help stop our troubles then. don't knock our hustle. `Cause really at the end of the day it`s not ya'll. struggle. But you always got something to say. Well hear this fuck you. Yeah that's right I'm talking to you come try to sleep in our beds. Eat off our plates take a walk in our shoes. Look at the world from our view try to live by our. rules. Drink the same water we do put your kids in our. schools. I guarantee you won't maintain your health you'll. probably try to end it all. And hang yourself or bang yourself. You couldn't possibly understand all pain we felt. And without folding your hands play the games we. dealt. I'm being real I ain't tryin to be evil. Look how we live look how ya'll live. C'mon be serious how is we equal. Matter fact I feel I'm wasting my time. I'm finished writing this rhyme. Ya'll never gonna see eye to eye with my people you know. [Akon]. How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets. How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat. You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way. Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day. Stay down stay down just to live a better way (Repeat 2X)