All My Life (In the Ghetto)

## Single by Jay Rock featuring Lil Wayne and will.i.am

### **Songwriter(s)**

Andre Lyon \ Johnny McKinzie \ Dwayne Carter, Jr. \ Marcello Valenzano \ William Adams, Jr.

### **Producer(s)**

Cool & Dre

"**All My Life (In the Ghetto)**" is a song by American rapper Jay Rock, released October 16, 2008, as the lead single from his debut studio album, *Follow Me Home* (2011). The song features guest vocals from Lil Wayne and will.i.am.

Wayne appeared on the track after Rock gave one of his mixtapes. Rock told *Rolling Stone*, "I thought he would shine me off. But he was real with it."

## Music video

The music video was filmed in Watts, Los Angeles, which Jay Rock is from. Rock walks around his old neighborhood or on a billboard, rapping alongside Wayne. The video features cameo appearances from Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar. will.i.am does not make an appearance in the video.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: will.i.am]

The ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

The ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

*Oh my, my, oh*

*Oh my, my, oh*

[Verse 1: Jay Rock]

I was on the block right, wasn't in my right mind

Just a young n\*\*\*a hustling, tryna get mines

Movin' with the 9 double M

N\*\*\*as like, "You don't really wanna fuck with him"

Yeah, young teenager, infatuated with paper

Yeah I had to get it cause momma, she wasn't able

Black and white TV set, no cable

40's in the fridge, chicken noodles on the table

I wasn't born with a silver spoon

Child of the ghetto, raised off a different tune

Watching Bob Barker in my living room

If your price was right, I could get you a whole living room

Yeah, them was my gutter ways

Back in the gutter days, no education but the gutter pays

Through it all, I came a long way

From selling the yay, fistfights to gunplay

[Chorus: will.i.am]

In the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

I comes from the bottom but now I’m on top

Ain’t nothin' gon' stop me, yo

I comes from the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

Where all of my n\*\*\*as, where all of my n\*\*\*as

And all of my n\*\*\*as will roll up in the spot

And get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

[Verse 2: Lil Wayne]

Yeah, times is hard as it is

That's why I got guns and my guns got kids

That's why I be going so tough on them hoes

I play my own hand, I don't shuffle or fold

Fuck with a n\*\*\*a, let's go fuck with some hoes

Hear them bitches screaming like they stuck in a hole

I am not a demon but was once a lost soul

'Til I found myself a block away from the crossroad

I have, outgrown the fishbowl

And now I'm on my feet like a fucking insole

And yeah it may hurt like a fucking lymph node

But it's fuck the world like a fucking nympho

And we spend dough cause we make more

And I make sure when I say so

It's Jay Rock and Weezy, need I say more?

Clothesline the beat, Ted DiBiase flow

[Chorus: will.i.am]

In the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

I comes from the bottom but now I’m on top

Ain’t nothin' gon' stop me, yo

I comes from the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

Where all of my n\*\*\*as, where all of my n\*\*\*as

And all of my n\*\*\*as will roll up in the spot

And get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

[Verse 3: Jay Rock]

Jay Rock still that same OG

I ain't tryna see the grave or the penitentiary

Everyday living, tryna stay on my feet

Even though a n\*\*\*a paid but my heart in the streets

See my dogs, I'm a beast, so hard on these beats

So my family can eat, I'll be damned if I see no income

Here come Jay Rock, they know

Crack music, drug kingpin flow, oh

[Verse 4: Lil Wayne & Jay Rock]

Kingpin ho (Yeah) need I say more? (Yeah)

Your family could die, when I say go (Go)

Green light, green light, what ya green like?

Before ya sign me up, get the scene right

And I just hop in the phantom when I'm feelin' nice

Cause driving slow in the Lam', it doesn't seem right

Yeah, and I remember them long nights

Living the wrong life but I made that wrong right, Weezy

[Bridge: BJ the Chicago Kid]

All the struggling

All it does is keep me hustling

Oh my, my

[Chorus: will.i.am]

In the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

I comes from the bottom but now I’m on top

Ain’t no one stop me yo

I comes from the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

Where all of my n\*\*\*as, where all of my n\*\*\*as

And all of my n\*\*\*as will roll up in the spot

And get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

[Outro: will.i.am]

Get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

I comes from the bottom but now I’m on top

Ain’t nothin' gon' stop me, yo

All the struggling

All it does is keep me hustling

*Oh my, my, oh*

*Oh my, my, oh*

## References

1. ↑ Zisook, Brian (February 6, 2008). "Jay Rock ft. Lil' Wayne & will.i.am - All My Life". *DJBooth*.

Template:Guest appearances