Hold on... *lighter flicks up* 
Yeah it's gonna be alright, don't trip baby *inhales* 
It'll get better... *coughing* 

Ay do this Thug style main, Thug style 
When this whole beat drop we just gon' run it to em bet 
It's all good, uhh 

I never had much, ran with a bad bunch 
Little skinny kid sneakin weed in my bag lunch 
And all through Junior High, we was just gettin by 
And drivebys robbed my homies of their young lives 
I never did cry, and even though I had 
pain in my heart, I was hopeless from the start 
They couldn't tell me nothin, they all tried to help to help me 
The marijuana had my mind gone it wasn't healthy 
I travelled places, caught cases, what a ill year 
I felt the pain and the rain but I'm still here 
Never did like the police, let the whole world know 
Now I gets no peace, cause they chasin me down 
And facin me now, what do I do? 
These thangs that a Thug goes through 
And still I rise so keep ya head up, and make ya mind strong 
It's a struggle every day but you gotta hold on 

Chorus: repeat 4X 

Hold on, be strong, hold on 
Be strong, hold on 
When it's on it's on 

There's, never a good day, cause in my hood they 
let they AK's pump strays where the kids play 
And every Halloween, check out the murder scene 
Can't help but duplicate the violence seen on the screen 
My homies dyin 'fore they get to see they birthdays 
These is the worst days, sometimes it hurts to pray 
And even God turned his back on the ghetto youth 
I know that ain't the truth, sometimes I look for proof 
I wonder if heaven got a ghetto, and if it does 
Does it matter if you blood or you cuz 
Remember how it was, the picnics and the parties in the projects 
Small time drinkin gettin high with them armies 
Just another knucklehead kid from the gutter 
I'm dealin with the madness, raised by a single mother 
I'm tryin to tell you when it's on 
You gotta keep your head to the sky and be strong, most of all hold on 

Chorus 

Interlude: 

Hold on, be strong 
I know them ain't tears comin down your face 
When it's on it's on but 
Wipe your eyes 
Hold on, be strong 
In this world 
When it's on it's on but 
Only the strong survive y'know 
Hold on, be strong 
Hmm, I know it's hard out there 
When it's on it's on but 
Welfare 
Hold on, be strong 
AIDS, earthquakes 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
Muggings, carjackings 
Hold on, and be strong 
Yeah we got problems 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
But believe me when I tell you 
Hold on, and be strong 
Things always get better 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
God don't like ugly 
Hold on, and be strong 
And God don't like no quitters 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
You know what Billie Holiday said bay-bee 
Hold on, and be strong 
God bless the child that can hold his own 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
Y'know? 
Hold on, and be strong 
You got to stand strong 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
And when these bustas try to knock you out your place 
Hold on, and be strong 
You stand there to they face 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
Tell em hold on, and be strong 
Hold on, and be strong 
The game don't stop 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
Hmmm 
Hold on, and be strong 
This here is black main 
Cause when it's on it's on but 
If you don't never leave nothin, learn one thing 
Hold on, and be strong 
It don't stop, til the casket drop 
Hold on 
Thug, for Life... feel me? 
All my homeboys and my homegirls, stay strong 
When things get bad, especially come the first and the fifteenth 
Stay strong, and stay ballin, hold on 
I'll catch y'all at the next life, we in traffic