(feat. 2Pac, J. Phoenix)
[Intro: Nas]
I want you to close your eyes
And vision the most beautiful place in the world
If you in the hood on the ghetto street corner
Come on this journey
The best journey
Acres of land and swimming pools and all that
Check it out
[Verson One: Nas]
I'm capable of anything, my imagination can give me wings
To fly like does over the streets watchin' many things
Kids walkin' home from school on drug block missionaries
Pass out papers that read: Love God
See faces, cases, judges, juries, masons, lawyers and cops
I watch because every thugs face is my mirror
But this was one in particular
This kid he was the vintage stick em up pro
16 years old, did his jail sentence, nowhere to go
Every mornin calls his comrad to come and get him to smoke
He insane, already gone mad
Blames himself for his setbacks
Dangerous street corners where his sets at
Slang from dust to dawn, detectives act like they maniacs
Chasin' him, his ass was flarin'
Smokin' like a chimney, on really, of course he not carin'
He need a place to go to keep his mind expandin'
I give him a helpin' hand, bring him out to Thugz Mansion
[Chorus: J. Phoenix]
Every corner, every city
There's a place where life's a little easy
Little Hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour, cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be alright
Nothin but peace, love
And street passion, every ghetto needs a thug mansion
[Verse Two: 2Pac]
Dear momma don't cry, your baby boy's doin good
Tell the homies I'm in heaven and they ain't got hoods
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook
Drippin peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke
Then some lady named Billie Holiday
Sang sittin there kickin it with Malcolm, 'til the day came
Little LaTasha sho' grown
Tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven, so come home
Maybe in time you'll understand only God can save us
When Miles Davis cuttin lose with the band
Just think of all the people that you knew in the past
that passed on, they in heaven, found peace at last
Picture a place that they exist, together
There has to be a place better than this, in heaven
So right before I sleep, dear God, what I'm askin
Remember this face, save me a place, in thug's mansion
[Chorus]
[Verse Three: Nas]
A place where death doesn't reside, just thugs who collide
Not to start beef but spark trees, no cops rollin by
No policemen, no homicide, no chalk on the streets
No reason, for nobody's momma to cry
See I'm a good guy, I'm tryin to stick around for my daughter
But if I should die, I know all of my albums support her
This whole year's been crazy, asked the Holy Spirit to save me
Only difference from me and Ossie Davis, gray hair maybe
Cause I feel like my eyes saw too much sufferin
I'm just twenty-some-odd years, I done lost my mother
And I cried tears of joy, I know she smiles on her boy
I dream of you more, my love goes to Afeni Shakur
Cause like Ann Jones, she raised a ghetto king in a war
And just for that alone she shouldn't feel no pain no more
Cause one day we'll all be together, sippin heavnly champagne
What angels saw, with golden wings in thug's mansion
[Chorus]
