[Intro: Joe Budden]
Lord..
Please continue to guide, direct, and protect my ni**az
From the world, and from themselves

[Chorus: Joe Budden]
Lord can you please shine that light on your sons
They sent you a million prayers, you ain`t answered near one
{"Ohh, it`s a shame, baby baby"} It`s a shame
I`m down on both knees, Father talk to `em please
All you put `em through is pain, but will it ever cease?
{"Ohh, it`s a shame, baby baby"} What a shame

[Joell Ortiz]
Yowwa! What up world? I`m Joell
Sixth floor, project door, broke bell
Only child, no brother, no sis
Moms runnin out the door to go sniff
My highwater pants don`t fit
Afro growin all wild, no pic man
{"Ohh, it`s a shame, baby baby"}
Is what my teacher said for class pics
My pops? I don`t know where he at
He left one day, he said he`d be back
The stove keep me warm in the winter
I`m tired of Beefaroni for dinner
My grandmoms got a bad liver
I`m just watchin her fade away
Man, I don`t know what else to say
So at the end of every day I pray, I say

[Chorus]

[Royce Da 5`9"]
What up world? I`m the S**T
I`m headed to Hell in a hand-basket
I pop pills, abuse liquor and kill ni**az
When I die, God ain`t gon` judge, he gon` deal with us
That`s why them reckless quotes come with my drama
My pops while coke-infested, c** in my momma
{"Ohh, it`s a shame, baby baby"}
I know, right?
For those nights that I was havin them seizures
For those mornings that I was havin trouble breathin
C`mon listen; I was only a fo`-pound baby
So I grew up into grown and went fo`-pound crazy
Daddy was gangsta, mommy was passive
Boxin gloves for Christmas, I needed classes
My daddy beat our ass, that`s probably why we assassins
But he`ll do anythang for me; Joey pray for me

[Chorus]

[Crooked I]
What up world? I`m a lost soul
Challengin the devil standin at the crossroads
I just shot a dirty snake with my .38
He shot me too, now I`m waitin at the Pearly Gates
I seen the angel Gabriel and I came real
A lame tried to kill me, so I aim steel
{"Ohh, it`s a shame, baby baby"}
Ask God is that somethin that he can`t feel
I had a six-shot popper and I brought it with me
I put his thinkin cap somewhere he never thought it would be
I didn`t son him, he`s a daughter to me
Instead of hangin with thugs he`s slangin drugs, shoulda got a college degree
But growin up in the hood`ll leave your mind baffled
We put haters in the past like time travel
That`s my murder story, I`m past purgatory
I need prayer though, Joey put a word in for me

[Chorus]