I was the third brother of five
Doing whatever I had to do to survive
I'm not saying what I did was alright
Trying to break out of the ghetto was a day to day fight
Been down so long
Getting up didn't cross my mind
But I knew there was a better way of life
That I was just trying to find
You don't know what you'll do until you're put under pressure
'Cross 110th Street is a hell of a tester

Across 110th Street
Pimps trying to catch a woman that's weak
Across 110th Street
Pushers won't let the junkie go free
Across 110th Street
Woman trying to catch a trick on the street
Across 110th Street
You can find it all in the street

I got one more thing I'd like to talk to y'all about right now

Hey brother, there's a better way out
Snorting that coke, shooting that dope, man you're copping out
Take my advice, it's either live or die
You've got to be strong if you want to survive
The family on the other side of town
Would catch hell without a ghetto around
In every city you find the same thing going down
Harlem is the capital of every ghetto town

Across 110th Street
Pimps trying to catch a woman that's weak
Across 110th Street
Pushers won't let the junkie go free
Across 110th Street
A woman trying to catch a trick on the street, ooo baby
Across 110th Street
You can find it all in the street
Yes you can, oh

Look around you, just look around you
Look around you, look around you, uh, yeah