Hood Mentality Songtext
von Ice Cube

The hood mentality is a crippling disease
That attacks your nervous system
It makes you nervous of the system
Gangstas and hood rats are especially
Susceptible to this growth stunting mentality

The hood is where I′m from
But it's not what I am
The hood is where I′m from
But it's not what I am

Fuck school nigga, I'ma be a dope dealer
I′ma be a killa, yep, a urban guerrilla
I′ma stack scrilla, yeah, buy me a villa
Sell a 5-0 to my auntie Priscilla

I don't give a fuck that she look like "thriller"
Hit that shit one more time and fuck around and kill her
Cause I got the heart of a Pittsburgh steeler
Black nigga draped in gold, with a nine milla


Love money, love jail, love that penitentiary mail
Love the way these niggas smell, keep comin′ back, can't you tell?
Love to see my mama cry, love to see my babies struggle
Love to see my woman juggle nuts ′cause she got to hustle

I don't give a fuck how my life go
Now I′m a slave man to this caveman without geico
Everybody wanna call Michael a psycho
But he ain't never came through the hood with a rifle

Gunnin' niggas down ′cause they don′t got the right clothes
Hit the wrong person 'cause we shoot just like hoes
First I was blood thirsty, Mr., Mr. Controversy
Now I wanna beg for mercy, shoulda took my ass to Berkeley

If you don′t wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?
If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?

If you don′t wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?
If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?


Fuck school, nigga, if I grow a little taller
Everybody tell me I′m gon' do it, I'm gon′ be a baller
So fuck that thinkin′, fuck that thank
And fuck them Lincoln's, I want Franklin′s
Come back through here with my crew
I'm gon′ have my own shoe

I'm gon′ be that little fool comin' in your living room
Starting point guard nigga, fresh out of middle school
Either it's the NBA or it′s the NFL
I don′t know what else I can do to keep my ass up out of jail

I wanna be like Tiger Woods, swing that club, make you sick
I wanna be like Pacman Jones
I wanna be like Michael Vick
I wanna be like Barry Bonds
I wanna be like O.J. Simpson
Leave this field, leave this prison
Tell you motherfuckers where to kiss 'em

I wanna be all broke up, movin′ all old and slow
I wanna be a alcoholic just like Broadway Joe
I wanna be a sideshow, kinda like Iron Mike
Used to have a few Bentleys, now I just ride a bike

If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?
If you don′t wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?

If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?
If you don′t wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?

Fuck school nigga, they ain't tryin' to educate me
All they give a fuck is what I memorized lately
I′m gon′ have to teach myself, clock that money, get that wealth
I wanna be like Santa Claus, I don't wanna be no fuckin′ elf

No kid left behind, but he get the run-around
Can't you motherfuckers see that they tryin′ to dumb us down?
Don't trust the government, president is for sale
He don′t give a fuck about a nigga, just a oil well

Sell crack, go to jail, bust a rap, go to hell
Do I got to sell my soul if I wanna go to Yale?
Go kiss Oprah's ass if you wanna be Gail
I'd rather have my ass kissed up in Bloomingdale

You can go be a pimp, you can go be a hoe
But you only gon′ get paid off what you know
If you don′t know shit, then you can't work for me
′Cause you read your first book in the penitentiary

If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?
If you don′t wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?

If you don't wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?
If you don′t wanna shake that hood mentality
How the fuck we supposed to change our reality?

Where you gon' move to?
I know where I'ma move to
I′m gonna write this down for you, nigga
First I′m gonna get my mind right
Then I'm gonna get my money right