What's Going On? - Eric B. & Rakim

What's going on? 

What's happening  it's been so long  what's going on 
And what's going wrong? The good old days are gone 
You forgot your plot and your plans as a young man 
You invented a scam even you don't understand 
You rig the enigma  can't figure it out 
You change the route  now you're in doubt 
You use to cut class  smoked grass  still passed  
Figured you was all that but that ain't last; 
The times is harder, the drugs is heavier 
You say whatever, the more, the merrier; 
Smoke chokes your dreams and blurs your scenes, 
Now a young man fiend change his plan to schemes; 
No more good times, no more time, 
Too far to find, you're almost blind, 
You can't see what spot that the trap is in... 
(Hey bra!)What's happening! 
You had it mapped out, your plans get torn, 
You stayed up for days and now your dreams are gone 
You said you quit, stated your word is bond 
(Hey bro) what's going on? 

What's going on? 

My neighborhood don't look so good 
I'll find a way out.. yeah, I would if I could, 
But the government is doing a project... 
so I live in the projects; 
Where we fight for elbow room to the doom, 
Try to live long but you die too soon, 
I might not be alive to see 25, 
Taught at ten to make money and strive; 
I sold tapes at school and made some ends 
Met alot of skins and even made some friends, 
Cool, 'cause now I got a crew to run wit, 
Break a couple of rules, have crazy fun wit; 
But every now and then, they give my knuckle game a test, 
But I won't fess, I just get rid of the stress! 
And then shake hands like a man, 
'Cause it's a family thing, only the crew would underst