Niggaz 4 Life Lyrics

[Opening dialogue]
Why you brothers insist on usin' the word nigga?
Don't you know that's bringin' down the black race?
Nigga nigga nigga that's all I hear you motherfuckers talk about is nigga
You can do what you want, just keep it out of my neighborhood
Personally I think the lyrics are a bit too harsh
I ain't no nigga, fuck that shit
Does everything come out your mouth got to be a 4-letter word?
All over this bullshit, it's just a bunch of fuckin' noise
The way you talk about women is bullshit, plain bullshit
What you motherfuckers doin' for the black community anyway?
Motherfucker I got kids, I don't want 'em listenin' to that bullshit
{*hospital monitor starts beeping*}
Fuck the niggas!
Motherfuckers need to stop
How can you call yourself a nigga and be proud of it?
{*monitor stops beeping - R.I.P.*}
[Orderly] Flatline
[Dr. Dre] Bullshit!

[Verse 1: MC Ren]
Why do I call myself a nigga you ask me?
Well it's because motherfuckers wanna blast me
And run me outta my neighborhood
And label me as a dope dealer yo, and say that I'm no good
But I gave out jobs so niggas wouldn't have to go out

Gave em some dope and a corner so they could show out
When the cops came, they gave a fake name
Because the life in the streets is just a head game
So therefore, to make more
A 15-year-old black kid'll go and rob a liquor store
And get shot in the process
He ate up a nine bullet and now he's put to rest
[Verse 2: Dr. Dre]
Why do I call myself a nigga you ask me?
I guess it's just the way shit has to be

Back when I was young gettin' a job was murder
Fuck flippin' burgers, cause I deserve a
Nine-to-five I can be proud of, that I can speak loud of
And to help a nigga get out of
Yo! The concrete playground
But most motherfuckers only want you to stay down
But I'm a smart motherfucker you see
One of the best producers in the rap music industry
Gettin' paid like a motherfucker

A young brother, who don't give a fuck about another
Yeah

[Verse 3: MC Ren]
Why do I call myself a nigga you ask me?
Because police always wanna harass me

Every time that I'm rollin
They swear up and down that the car was stolen
Make me get face down in the street
And throw the shit out my car on the concrete
In front of a residence
A million white motherfuckers on my back like I shot the President

[Verse 4: Dr. Dre]
Why do I call myself a nigga you ask me?
Because my mouth is so motherfuckin' nasty

Bitch this, bitch that, nigga this, nigga that
In the mean while my pockets are gettin' fat
Gettin' paid to say this shit here
Makin' more in a week than a doctor makes in a year
So why not call myself a nigga?
It's better than pullin' the trigger and goin' up the river
And then I get called a nigga anyway
Broke as a motherfucker and locked away, so
So cut out all that bullshit
Yo! I guess I'll be a nigga for life
[Interlude: Eazy-E]
Niggas, crackers, jews!
If there's hell below, we're all gonna go!


[Verse 5: Eazy-E]
Nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga, please
I'm treated like a fuckin' disease

You say - why do I call myself a nigga so quick?
Cause I can reach in my drawers and pull out a bigger dick, yo
Nigga say nigga we cool but
Cracker say nigga, nigga knocked the fuck up
But I gotta be a fast nigga, to never be the last nigga
Or I'll have to beat yo' ass, nigga
In the city you see action first
Then hear about it later in a verse I curse

Because I'm real with this to keep my shit straight bumpin
Murder, created by the streets of Compton
Now get it from the underground poet
I live it, I see it, and I write it because I know it
And if you think I'm fuckin' your wife
You're motherfuckin' right, yo
'Cause I'm a nigga for life


[Bridge]
I love niggas, I love niggas, I love niggas
Because niggas are me
And I should only love that which is me
I love to see niggas
("niggas for life")
[Verse 6: Dr. Dre]
Nigga this, nigga that
The actual fact is that I'm black and bound to attract
The attention of another, I mean the other
But I'm a motherfucker that'll have 'em runnin' for cover
You see, I don't give a fuck about nothin'
Except gettin' paid, gettin' bitches, and issuin' stitches

Which is, all needed to read it and find a rhyme
And then it's time to say, the nigga's here to stay
But what about the fake niggas, the house niggas
To get paid quick they gotta suck a fat dick
But N.W.A. is outta your motherfuckin' range
We ain't gonna change a motherfuckin' thang!

[Verse 7: MC Ren]
I call myself a nigga cause my skin won't lighten
I call myself a nigga cause the shit that I'm writin
Hypes me, hypes other motherfuckers around me
And that's the reason why they wanna surround me
And ask me - why do I call myself a negro?
Ain't none of their fuckin' business cause I'll let the trigger go
So get out my presence and get out of my sight
Cause MC Ren is a nigga for life

[Final dialogue]
You're a nigga 'til you die
If you're a po' nigga, you're a po' nigga
If you're a rich nigga, you're a rich nigga
But you never stop bein' a nigga
And if you get to be educated you just an educated nigga
("I can dig it!")

[Outro: N.W.A.]
It's plain to see, you can't change me
Cause imma be a nigga for life
It's plain to see, you can't change me
Cause imma be a nigga for life
It's plain to see, you can't change me
Cause imma be a nigga for life
It's plain to see, you can't change me
Cause imma be a nigga for life
It's plain to see, you can't change me
Cause imma be a nigga for life
It's plain to see, you can't change me
Cause Imma be a nigga for life

{*static noise*}

[Eazy-E (singing a jingle)]
I'm a nigga, he's a nigga, she's a nigga, we some niggas
Wouldn't you like to be a nigga too?

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

This song is addressed to the critics who oppose NWA’s frequent use of the word “nigga.” They give six reasons for its continued use (assuming each individual member speaks for the group):

1) because of how often the police harass them;

2) because it fits in the with rest of their dirty language;

3) because of the size of their dicks;

4) because they will always be black;

5) because their lyrics are so excellent; and

6) because “it’s just the way shit has to be.”

Later on the album, in “The Dayz of Wayback,” a seventh reason is given:

7) because of their pasts.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Comments