[Intro]
They cuttin' off welfare
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me (They think crime is rising now)
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (You got whites killing Blacks)
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me (Cops killing Blacks)
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (And Blacks killing Blacks)
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (Shit just gon' get worse)
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier (They just gon' become soldiers)
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me (Straight soldiers)

[Chorus]
All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All you wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All you wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All you wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All you wanted to be, a soldier, like me

[Verse 1]
Crack done took a part of my family tree
My mama's on the shit, my daddy split and moms is steady blaming me
Is it my fault, just cause I'm a young Black male?
Cops sweat me as if my destiny is makin' crack sales
Only fifteen and got problems
Cops on my tail, so I bail 'til I dodge 'em
They finally pull me over and I laugh
"Remember Rodney King?" and I blast on his punk ass
Now I got a murder case
You speak of Heaven punk? I never heard of the place
Wanted to come up fast, got a Uz' and a black mask
Ducking fuckin' task, now who's the jackass?
Keep my shit cocked cause the cops got a Glock too
What the fuck would you do? Drop them or let 'em drop you?
I chose droppin' the cop
I got me a Glock, and a Glock for the n***as on my block
Mama tried to stab me, I moved out
Sold a pound a weed, made Gs, bought a new house
I'm only seventeen, I'm the new king
Got me a crew, bought 'em jewels, and a Uz'-thing
But all good things don't last
Task came fast, and busted my Black ass
Coolin' in the pen, where the good's kept
Now my little brother wants to follow in my footsteps, a soldier
[Chorus]
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

[Verse 2]
Buck, buck, n***as get fucked, don't step to this
Quiet as kept, I'm blessed on a quest with a death wish
Tell 'em to come and test and arrest, n***a, it's hectic
Here's the anorexic, I'm makin' it to an exit
Walking through the streets on the Black tip
Packed with several gats 'cause I'm on some pay 'em back shit
N***as don't wanna try me, brother, you'll get shot down
Now I'm king of the block since my bigger brother's locked down
I'm hot now, so many punk police have got shot down
Other coppers see me on the block and they jock now
That's what I call a kingpin
Send my brother what he needs and some weed up to Sing-Sing
Tellin' him just be ready, set
Pack ya shit up quick and when I hit, be prepared to jet
N***as from the block on the boat now
Every single one got a gun that'll smoke, pow
These punks about to get hit by the best
I'm wearin' double vest, so aim at my fuckin' chest
I'll be makin' straight dome calls
Touch the button on the wall, you'll be pickin' up your own balls
I can still hear my mother shout
"Hit the pen, n***a, break your bigger brother out"
I got a message for the warden
I'm comin' for your ass as fast as Flash Gordon
We get surrounded in the mess hall
Yes, y'all, a crazy motherfucker making death calls
Just bring me my brother and we leavin'
For every minute you stall, one of y'all bleedin'
They brought my brother in a jiffy
I took a cop just in case things got tricky
And just as we was walkin' out (Bang)
I caught a bullet in the head, the screams never left my mouth
My brother caught a bullet, too
I think he gon' pull through, he deserve to
The fast life ain't everything they told ya
Never get much older, following the tracks of a soldier
[Chorus]
A soldier, a soldier
All he ever wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All he wanted to be (All he ever wanted to be), a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me

[Outro]
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All he wanted to be, a soldier, a soldier
All he wanted to be, a soldier, like me
All he wanted to be—
Straight soldier, 1993 onward
Yellin' it 'cause nobody else is tellin'—