[Verse 1: Kool Shen]
At the dawn of the year 2000
It's not the same for the youth anymore
For those in the streets, for those trying to get them off
Anyway, there's no more jobs
The circle is now complete, the system is flooded
And the youth are drunk, dirtied under the silence
The only way out is the street, even if it's covered in blood
It's not a problem for those who are prepared
Some will even make it out better off than they were before
But for the rest, it's not gonna be easy
No need to hide your face, it's not enough to sell kilos
You gotta protect your turf for tomorrow
To make sure your people are getting by
Dodge the shivs
To keep your goods intact
Your core crew, tightly knit, listen to the scanner to decide whether to keep the contact
Or move, avoid the red zones and
Of course, never go on vacation
Is that what you want for your son?
Is that how you want him to grow up?
I don't have any advice to give, but you don't want him slippin'
Watch over him, when he speaks, listen to him!
Don't let him look elsewhere for the love that should be in your eyes
[Chorus: Kool Shen]
Don't let your son hang out in the street
If you don't want him slippin'
Or coming back with vices
Don't let your son hang out in the street
If you don't want him slippin'
[Verse 2: Joey Starr]
Fuck! When he told me, "I never asked to have you!"
It was these drunken words that convinced me
My father contributed to pushing me to the streets
I thought I found something better, I saw
I was just a 14-year-old boy with a discrepancy in age
I could catch a glimpse like it was a mirage
No more restrictions, just a ruthless ambition
To bite the forbidden lifestyle, to make the most of everything that happens next
The streets were able take me 'cause it trusted me
Something that was a like a nuisance for my father
Neither of us wanted to patch things up
Every attempt showed us we had too much pride
My father wasn't a singer, but he loved singing the same old song
Especially the ones that hit you like a stab in the chest
He thought he was playing it cool, he didn't want to or even try to
Put aside his fucking ego that was straining family ties
A little more every day
He must've seen me as more worthless than a hooptie in L'argus
So I had to give up and find my own accomplices
My partners in slippin'
Sorry if I'm getting too personal
[Chorus: Kool Shen]
[Verse 3: Kool Shen]
What did you want your son to learn in the streets?
What virtues did you think they'd teach him?
You haven't seen how much it reeks out there
But what's the stench of death like?
When you breathe it in, man, you're like a stillborn
You limit yourself
By going 'round in circles
Your brain fails you, then jumps to conclusions
It's really bad when you lose control
When in the eyes of others, you play into your role more and more
Your role of caille-ra, just so no one says
"You're no longer part of the crew"
It's crazy, but it's like that
Down here more than anywhere, survival is a fight
With low blows, baton swings
Dodges and "Pow!"s in fucking brawls
Don't let your son hang out in the street
If you don't want him slippin'
Or coming back with vices
No, don't let your son hang out in the street
[Chorus: Kool Shen]