Tupac Shakur: My Block

My Block Remix by Tupac Shakur

I choose this song because it talks about death, the pain of losing friends, and prejudice. All of these issues relate to the novel as the characters in this book also have to face this.

[Chorus: a bunch of kids - see the liner notes]
Living life is but a dream
Hard times is all we see (on my block)
Every block is kinda mean
But on our block we still prayyyyyy
But on our block we still prayyyyyy...

[Verse Two]
Now s**t's constantly hot, on my block, it never fails to be gunshots
Can't explain a mother's pain, when her son drops
Black male slipping in hail when will we prevail
Fearing jail but crack sales got me living well
And the system's suicidal with this Thug's Life
Staying strapped forever trapped in this drug life
God help me, cause I'm starving, can't get a job
So I resort to violent robberies, my life is hard
Can't sleep cause all the dirt make my heart hurt
Put in work and shed tears for my dead peers
Mislead from childhood where I went astray
Till this day I still pray for a better way
Can't help but feel hopeless and heartbroke
From the start I felt the racism cause I'm dark
Couldn't quit the bulls**t make me represent
Hit the bar and played the star, everywhere I went
In my heart, I felt alone out here on my own
I close my eyes and picture home... on my block

[Chorus w/ minor variations]

[Verse Three]
And I can't help but wonder why, so many young kids had to die
Caught strays from AK's and the drive-by
Swollen pride and homicide, don't coincide
Brothers cry for broken lives, mama come inside
Cause our block is filled with danger
Used to be a close knit community but now we're all cold strangers
Time changes us to stone them crack pipes
All up and down the block exterminating black life
But I can't blame the dealers
My mama's welfare check has brought the next man chrome wheels
Shit's real, I know ya feel, my tragedy
A single mother with a problem child, daddy free
Hanging out picking up game, sipping cheap liquor
Gamin the hoochies hoping I can get to sleep with her
It's a man's world, staying strapped
Fantasies of a ni**a living phat, but held back
Pipe dreams can make the night seem hopeless
Wide eyed and losing focus... on my block

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFZSiSM6k28

Link to the video of the song (Warning contains explicit language) These lyrics start at 1:20 mins.