Growing up in Oakland, life was tough Pops was in and out, mama worked enough Had to learn quick, how to survive In these streets where the strong survive Fights every day, gunshots at night Never knowing if we'd make it to the light No time for dreaming, gotta stay awake Can't let these streets be the end of our fate Chorus: Oakland, Oakland, the city of hard knocks Where dreams can be shattered by one wrong block Where the hustle never stops, and the grind never ends Where we struggle and we strive, to make amends Verse 2: Hustling on the corners, selling anything we could Trying to make ends meet, and get out of the hood But the police always watching, trying to make a case Forced to run and hide, just to keep up the pace Friends getting locked up, or worse, getting shot But we keep pushing on, no matter what Our spirit is strong, and our will is unbreakable We won't let these streets, be our only label Chorus: Oakland, Oakland, the city of hard knocks Where dreams can be shattered by one wrong block Where the hustle never stops, and the grind never ends Where we struggle and we strive, to make amends Verse 3: But it ain't all bad, we got love for our town The culture, the people, and the streets that surround We stick together, like family through thick and thin Through the ups and downs, we'll always win We got the Warriors, the Raiders, and the A's Representing Oakland in every single way So let's keep pushing, and striving for greatness And make Oakland a city of love, not just hard faces Chorus: Oakland, Oakland, the city of hard knocks Where dreams can be shattered by one wrong block Where the hustle never stops, and the grind never ends Where we struggle and we strive, to make amends Outro: So to all my brothers and sisters in the town Keep your head up, and never back down We'll make it through, no matter what they throw 'Cause we're from Oakland, and we'll always glow.