Ab                            Em  
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
         F#                     Cm
I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left
     Ab                            Em  
'Coz I've been laughin and blastin' so long, that
         F#                     Cm
Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone

     Ab                            Em  
But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
         F#                     Cm
Me be treated like a punk you know that's unheard of
     Ab                            Em  
You better watch how you're talkin', and where you're walkin'
         F#                     Cm
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk

     Ab                            Em  
I really hate to trip but I gotta, go
         F#                     Cm
As I grow I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool
     Ab                            Em  
I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be like
         F#                     Cm
On my knees in the night, sayin' prayers in the streetlight

 Ab                    Em  
Been spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
Been spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
keep spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
keep spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise

     Ab                            Em  
They got the situation, they got me facin'
         F#                     Cm
I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the stripes
     Ab                            Em  
So I gotta be down with the hood team
         F#                     Cm
Too much television watchin' got me chasin' dreams

     Ab                            Em  
I'm an educated fool with money on my mind
         F#                     Cm
Got my 10 in my hand and a gleam in my eye
     Ab                            Em  
I'm a loc'd out gangsta set trippin' banger
         F#                     Cm
And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger, fool

     Ab                            Em  
Death ain't nothin' but a heartbeat away
         F#                     Cm
I'm livin' life, do or die, what can I say
     Ab                            Em  
I'm twenty-three now, but will I live to see twenty-four
         F#                     Cm
The way things are going I don't know

"Do just a strum on the chords"
Ab             Em
Tell me why are we
F#         Cm
so blind to see
Ab             Em
That the one's we hurt
F#         Cm
are you and me

 Ab                    Em  
Been spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
Been spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
keep spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
keep spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise

Ab
Power and the money
  Em 
money and the power
F#     
Minute after minute
Cm
hour after hour

Ab
Everybody's runnin'
  Em 
but half of them ain't lookin'
F#     
What's going on in the kitchen
Cm 
but I don't know what's cookin'

 Ab
They say I gotta learn
  Em 
but nobody's here to teach me
F#     
If they can't understand it
Cm
 how can they reach me

 Ab
I guess they can't
  Em 
I guess they won't
F#     
I guess they front
Cm
that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool

 Ab                    Em  
Been spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
Been spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
keep spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise
 Ab                    Em  
keep spendin' most our lives
 F#                     Cm
Livin' in the gangsta's paradise