[Produced by DJ Green Lantern & Dr. Dre (ad.)]

[Intro: Busta Rhymes]
You know, my homie Treach from Naughty By Nature once said
"If you ain't from the ghetto, don't come to the fucking ghetto"
But I'ma let one of our most immaculate tour guides
Take us all through the ghetto, my n***a Rick James!

[Verse 1: Rick James]
When I was a young boy, growin' up in the ghetto
Hangin' out on corners, singin' with the fellas
Lookin' for the cute chicks, tryin' to find me big fun
Lookin' for some trouble or anyone who'll give me some
I was young and crazy! (In the ghetto)
Didn't know what my life would be (In the ghetto)
I was dumb and, oh, so lazy (In the ghetto)
Something had a spell on me (In the ghetto), you all know what I'm talkin' 'bout

[Hook: Rick James]
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm singin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life!
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life (In the ghetto)

[Verse 2: Busta Rhymes]
Sure, we be takin' them chances
While we search for the answers, we be smokin' them cancer sticks
Police provokin' motherfuckers, we dancin'
And we be dodgin' them bullets they be poppin' off at us, shit
But yet we always romance the street
And fall in love with the hood 'til somebody come blast the heat
Always up to no good, so all of my fam could eat
See, in the hood we hungry and, n***a, we playin' for keeps
My soldiers on the block get on it
It be good if you flaunt it, we will take if we want it
See, n***as from the ghetto got a different state of mind
With a different kind of hustle and we iller with the grind
And develop our muscle 'til we sicker with the shine
In the struggle, thus our money come quicker doin' crime
I see the way we rep the hood, gotta love me
You can take me out the ghetto, but you can't take it from me, gotta love it
[Hook: Rick James]
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life!
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm singin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life!
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life (In the ghetto)

[Verse 3: Busta Rhymes]
That's where we get into that street shit
Hustle hard, try to get money quick (In the ghetto)
That's where I got my name from
I learned to get money and I got all my game from (In the ghetto)
That's where you eat with a bunch of the wolves
And get to hustling as hard as you could (In the ghetto)
Until your cake stacking shit'll get good
Throw a block party for the whole hood (In the ghetto)
With them burnout cellys
Talk crazy, sell drugs in front of Pancho Deli
Crackhead chicks still smuggle babies in they belly
And then piss in elevators 'til the lobby all smelly (In the ghetto)
That's where I keep my ratchets
Get my instincts and survival tactics
Ain't nothin' like the hood, n***a, I don't care
You survivin' in the ghetto, you can make it anywhere, gotta love it

[Hook: Rick James]
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life!
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm singin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life!
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life (In the ghetto)
[Bridge: Busta Rhymes]
To my East Coast n***as, rep your ghetto
West Coast n***as, rep your ghetto
Midwest n***as, rep your ghetto
Down South n***as, rep your ghetto
To my East Coast n***as, rep your ghetto
West Coast n***as, rep your ghetto
Midwest n***as, rep your ghetto
To my Dirty South n***as, rep your ghetto (In the ghetto)

[Verse 4: Busta Rhymes]
Even though they act rude
You'll always find a good chick to hold a brick for they dude
Behind the bullshit, me and my clique on the move
We honor the code of the street and live by the rules (In the ghetto)
Is where, all of the hood's at
Find the most crooks and they sell the most drugs at
Where you find beautiful women and rugrats
And some of the most powerful people, I love that, come on

[Hook: Rick James]
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm talkin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, you all know what I'm singin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life, ghetto life!
Talkin' 'bout ghetto life (In the ghetto)
[Outro: Rick James | Dave Chappelle]
Never mind who you thought I was, I'm Rick James, bitch! (*applause*)
Cocaine is a hell of a drug