[Intro: Akon]
Mama hold her head and cry
'Cause her son had been shot down in the streets and died
"Oh why? Oh why?", is what she cry, she cry.

[Verse 1: Akon]
The biggest problems in the city
Is them daddies ain't there
And if it ain't about the money
Then nobody don't care
And then spoke to an OG
He tried to mentor me, he said:
"Boy, these streets will suck the love right out your heart
So don't believe that bullshit".

[Chorus: Akon]
You know goddamn well this system ain't for us (Oh, no no no)
And you know goddamn well the president don't love us (Oh, no no no)
Sinking down to the ground on the ghettos and we can't get no lower
So I'm askin' God how do we dig ourselves out if when we can't afford the shovel.

[Verse 2: Akon]
If there's a problem in the hood, everybody come together just to solve that problem
But that's the problem in the hood, nobody comes together unless you involve violence
'Cause we was taught to be the tough guys and was told to just remain silent
But then you got them niggas telling on the next guy
Instead of tellin' 'em what it takes to solve it
Is there a problem that I don't know about? (Oh, no no no)
Is there a problem that I haven't heard about? (Oh, no no no)
'Cause I speak of kids robbing each other, pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers
We won't get much further unless we start helping each other
But them non believers will thank.

[Chorus: Akon]
You know goddamn well this system ain't for us (Oh, no no no)
And you know goddamn well the president don't love us (Oh, no no no)
We're sinking down to the ground on the ghettos and we can't get no lower
So I'm askin' God how do we dig ourselves out if when we can't afford the shovel.

[Verse 3: OG Boo Dirty]
We were 16 brothers with no father around
I was 16, 14 robberies now
Two went to school and got a degree
One went to jail, the other ones' stuck in the streets
Damn, so nobody really made it out
[?] sell a brick just to build a house
Momma working two jobs while babysitting hard
Ain't even seen my dad when we was in a drill
Like crazy can't dig since we don't have a shovel
And now the hoes around digging me with no shovel
[?]
No Rihanna in the rain, somebody grab my umbrella, yeah.

[Outro: Akon]
Mama hold her head and cry
'Cause her son had been shot down by police and died
"Oh why? Oh why?", is what she cry, she cry
Mama hold her head and cry
'Cause her son had been shot down by police and died.