I was just a little girl Skinny legs, a press and curl My mother always thought I'd be a star
But way before the record deals Streets that nurtured Lauryn Hill made sure that I'd never go too far
Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I been Make me recall my days, in New Jerusalem
Story starts in Hootaville Grew up next to Ivy Hill When kids were stealing quartervilles for fun
"Kill the Guy" in Carter Park Rode a Mongoose til it's dark Watching kids show off the stolen ones
Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I been Make me recall my days, in the New Jerusalem
You know it's hot Don't forget, what you got Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
You know it's hot Don't forget, what you got Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
Bag of Bontons, twenty cents and a nickel (well that's a quarter) Springfield Ave. had the best popsicles Saturday morning cartoons and Kung-Fu (wuh-TAH!)
Main street roots tonic with the dreds A beef patty and some coco bread Move the patch from my Lee's to the tongue of my shoes
'Member, FreLng-Huysen used to have the bomb leather Back when Doug Fresh and Slick Rick was together Looking at the crew, we thought we'd all live forever
You know it's hot Don't forget, what you got Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
You know it's hot Don't forget, what you got Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
Drill teams on Munn street 'Member when Hawthorne and Chancellor had beef Moving Records was on Central Ave.
I was there at dancing school South Orange Ave. at Borlin pool Unaware of what we didn't have
Writing my friends' names on my jeans with a marker July 4th races outside Parker Fireworks at Martin Stadium
The Untouchable P.S.P. where all them crazy nig-gaz be And car thieves got away through Irvington
Hillside brings beef with the cops Self Destruction record drops And everybody's name was Muslim (children playing, women producing)
Sensations and eighty-eight attracted kids from out of state And everybody used to do the wop (wop it out, wop it out, wop it out)
Jack ya jack ya jack ya body Nah, the BizMark used to amp up the party I wish those days, they didn't stop
Every ghetto, every city and suburban place I been Make me recall my days, in New Jerusalem
You know it's hot Don't forget, what you got Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
You know it's hot Don't forget, what you got Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
You know it's hot Don't forget, what you got Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back Lookin back.. lookin back, lookin back, lookin back
