You think Oakland California is a city of punks   It only takes a second, to pop the trunk   And just like that you know it's real   You're in the right damn town to get killed   It's all about the game, and nothin else   You come out here, you better watch yourself   Cause you can wear what you want, even blue or red   But cross the wrong brothers, and end up dead   You catch a body full of bullets, and get blasted   Tryin to be a gangsta but you just ain't lastin   This little town is gettin wild as hell   Check the penetentiaries and all the jails   If they could lock us all up that would be just fine   Got my partners from Oakland doin serious time   You can't argue with the truth it's hard to be black   But it's a mindgame, and you gotta deal with that   I wake up everyday and I just can't wait   To make mo money, cause back in the days   When I rapped, I did the same damn thing I do now   Grab the microphone, and show you how   But I was broke, the only thing I had was game   I started makin money and knew things would change   Bought a Benz, thought it might earn respect   But the OPD, found it hard to accept   I got jacked by the Task and jacked by the Vice   Face down on the ground keep my hands in sight   Put the handcuffs on backseat I'm in it   Illegal search for about thirty minutes   Askin me, where's the dope   Where's my gun, but I don't know   I said I'm rappin, they laugh like I told a joke   And to this day they think I'm sellin coke      I want to be free! (and that's the truth) Ohhh yeahhh   I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh      I be in Oakland California every day of my life   Bass so hard you think I'm smokin a pipe   And if I don't smoke it, I gots to grind   Searched all my stuff, and all you find   Is a pocket full of money count seven G's   Now you wanna think I'm sellin keys   Cause I'm a black man, but I run my own business   So why the police wanna send me to prison   They see a brother makin major cash   They knock a patch out his black ass   And that's the truth, you can't argue you at all   Tryin to give you ten years for a phone call   Ain't even trippin on the dank smoke   Cause all they wanna find, is guns and coke   In court all the time tryin to fight it   We get rich, we get indeibted   So what's the problem Officer this time?   Is havin big money bein black a crime?   Or did you take me to jail, to teach me a lesson   Charge me with somethin, or just ask questions   About the brothers I hang around   What's really goin on in the Oakland town   Tell me who went broke, and who got rich   But Too $hort baby just ain't no snitch   You say you're just doin your job   But you're gettin on my nerves, just like Bob   Everytime I hit a corner, I see you   Always tellin brothers what to do   You lock me up cause I don't know how to act   But I'm down for mine so I be talkin back   And when I do, you treat me bad as hell   I'm sick of spendin nights in jail      I want to be free! (and that's the truth) Ohhh yeahhh   I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh      Got out of jail about fo'-fifteen   Walkin down the street like a broke dopefiend   Had a pocket full of money tryin to play the role   Benz got towed and I was hella cold   But I ain't trippin, I'm gettin used to it now   Handcuffed your boy took me straight downtown   For three warrants, had to catch me sooner or later   Cause the five-oh's always tryin to jack a playa   For no reason, wasn't doin nothin wrong   You think I'm lyin, singin that same ol song   Well I'm a black man, ridin in a Benz   How in the hell did I make these ends? Here we go   I pull over to the right   Stop the engine keep my hands in sight   I start cursin, cause it don't make sense   Why would I run and try to jump a fence   If I was plannin, a smooth getaway   I never woulda stopped in the first place   You'd be high speed chasin me but this time you ain't   Cause all I got on me is a big fat bank   And I hope I don't get robbed by you know who   Make me donate some G's to the boys in blue   And if I sue, I won't get nothin back   But I ain't mad I'm just black      I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh   I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh   I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh   I want to be free! Ohhh yeahhh