(feat. Stevie Wonder) 

[Chorus: Stevie Wonder] 
Been through the storm, through the cold and rain 
Everything's still the same 
Can't control how I feel 
Sometimes it's hard to keep it real 
You see the luxuries in life, with the fortune and fame 
Like them Cadillacs with sunroofs mayne 
So many ways to make a dollar 
Huh, sometimes I think about my father 
You see my poppa was broke, and my momma was young 
Tryin to blend in with them city folk 
Every day landlord knockin down my do' 
Wonderin where my next blessing is comin from 

[Busta Rhymes] 
My momma and poppa, moved to the U.S. as Jamaicans 
Struggled to get visas and green cards through immigration 
Though my pop was po', stayed away from crime and malice 
Hard living gave him hard hands and callous 
As a young'n, peep how much they loved each other's space 
His hard hands rubbin against the pretty skin of my mother's face 
Dig for treasure 'til his hands looked like hands of a junkie 
So coarse, slap a mule and take the life from a donkey 
On the other hand, mommy was the type to work two jobs 
Never enough money, that's why I got your whole crew robbed 
Got older, developed ways of grippin the steel 
Barely home for me to see her, or get a good cooked meal 
Seek refuge in the alleged land of the free, lookin 
Blendin in with city folk, down in Flatbush Brooklyn 
Feel a little of my pain, follow and sing to it 
Homey I seen it all, if you ain't knowin I been through it 
In other words I 

[Chorus] 

[Busta Rhymes] 
Got a little older, late teens, me and my crew would huddle 
On the corner late nights, plottin to escape struggle 
Nights got cold and still would hustle in the same place 
In front of Pancho Delis, now the freeze up on a nigga face 
1987 Reaganomics ever curious 
to visit other cities, out of town kick was serious 
Guayanese jeans bounce, put whatever slinger on 
Whatever slinger came back, quickly brought me right along 
Nigga ran away from home 
Doin different wild shit, just to put a pair of Filas on, 'Didas on 
Wreck is all for the good, gettin into shit 
Like we innocent, actin older than should 
Walk around broke in the hood, watchin all the rich niggaz 
These younger thugs who try to choke and try to get niggaz 
Thinkin 'bout my mom and pop, while I'm monopolizin 
To hell with just gettin by and economizin 
It's kinda hard bein humble in the belly of struggle 
Doin things that probably get you in trouble 
That's why we stay up on the block, gettin money while we keepin it safe 
In front of churchgoers keepin the faith 
Mom and pop be worryin for they son 
Despite they struggle and their honest livin look and see just what I become 
A scavenger, in brute pursuit to be happy, another young'n that's wildin 
Across the line until somebody tryin to cap me - ohhhh shit [gunfire] 

[Outro: Stevie Wonder - singer slower with more ad libs] 
I been through the storm 
Through the cold and rain 
Everything's still the same 
Can't control how I feel 
Sometimes it's hard to keep it real 
Woooooooooo-whoahhhhhhhh 
Yeahhhhhhhh-ohhhhhhhhhhhahhhhhhhhhhhhh