feat. Eightball & MJG, Carl Thomas
  
  [Chorus: Carl Thomas]
  I'm tryin to make it through these hard times (hard, times)
  I'm tryin to make it through these hard times
  I'm tryin to make it through these hard times (hard, times)
  I'm tryin to make it through these hard times
  I'm tryin to make it through these hard times (hard, times)
  I'm tryin to make it through these hard times
  I'm tryin to make it through these hard times (hard, times)
  Hard times (hard), hard times (hard)
  
  [Verse One: Ludacris]
  You never know how much you miss a person, until they gone
  Like to hear it? Hear it go, I'm rehearsing, gotta sing my song
  I know I've done some wrong, but I can't get right
  Cause life is like a big fight
  I'm stickin-and-movin, tryin to get my shit right
  My family's been houndin me, friends they done turned against me
  Kinda like they hearts was on a full tank, but now they empty
  And they say I've changed, but like twins I'm just the same
  It's because of my job, mo' money mo' prob in this dirty game
  This industry FUCKED UP
  That's right I said it, and it's fake as ever
  Keep real niggaz around me, stay "Space Age 4 Eva"
  Po-ppa never went and jumped the broom, never got that one degree
  But if you looked down from heaven, you'd still be proud of me
  Your son was DUI, but my momma made it by
  I didn't shed no tears when you left me
  but the rest of the family cried
  Trials and tribulations, ruined my concentration
  Losin my patience, hard times for goodness sake'n
  
  [Chorus]
  
  [Verse Two: Eightball]
  As this Valium slowly starts to kick in
  Them subconcious, subliminal thoughts, start tickin
  This whole world around me, diseased, and crumblin
  Babies doin dope cause daddy did it right in front of them
  Everybody wanna blame music for they bad kids
  Sittin up in the court talkin 'bout Eminem made me do what I did
  My own hard times rolled in like the fog
  Try to think of others, but I can't get past my own thoughts
  My momma, in 1967, pickin cotton
  While other blacks was gettin liberated, boycottin
  My old man was a player, ain't no hidin that
  He started tootin then he graduated to smokin crack
  I never saw him, never needed to see that muh'fucker
  He left me and my mother stuck down here in this fuckin gutter
  I tattoed it on my arm so I can't forget it
  It's in my mind and my heart so I'm forever with it
  
  [Chorus]
  
  [Verse Three: MJG]
  A drum machine, the old fo'-track, and a pack of new tapes
  In the middle of, 1988, in a corner cafe
  We made beats, and hung with old heads, and stayed out late at night
  Do talent shows, fo'-way split the dough, that was our way of life
  My momma stayed, home full time so she could raise me
  Knowin without a, household father, things could get crazy
  Sometimes I listened, sometimes I thought I knew it all
  But nevertheless, momma was with me through it all
  I graduated out of nothin, not out of school, it was like
  12, 13, 14 years I'm thinkin cool
  I might as well, be focusin on me tryin to get paid
  Usin these rhymes I've been writin since in the 7th grade
  Our team played, and had physical sex with minimum wage
  It was just like a piece of pussy
  It fucked me long as I stayed
  But still I prayed, Lord I'm tryin now please help me out the water
  It can't get no harder
  Help me to get back up and get my shit tomorrow
  
  [Chorus] - 2X