[Jay-Z]
Check the bassline out, uh-huh
Jigga (bounce wit it), uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh, yeahh
Let it bump though
["Annie" sample]
Itīs the hard knock life (uh-huh) for us
Itīs the hard knock life, for us!!
Steada treated, we get tricked
Steada kisses, we get kicked
Itīs the hard knock life!!
[Jay-Z]
From standin on the corners boppin
to drivin some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen
For droppin some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
From the dope spot, with the smoke Glock
fleein the murder scene, you know me well
from nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell
But since when yīall niggaz know me to fail? Fuck naw
Where all my niggaz with the rubber grips, bust shots
And if you with me mom I rub on your tits, and what-not
Iīm from the school of the hard knocks, we must not
let outsiders violate our blocks, and my plot
letīs stick up the world and split it fifty/fifty, uh-huh
Letīs take the dough and stay real jiggy, uh-huh
And sip the Crisī and get pissy-pissy
Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby!
You know itīs hell when I come through
The life and times of Shawn Carter
nigga Volume 2, yīall niggaz get ready
["Annie" sample]
Itīs the hard knock life, for us
Itīs the hard knock life, for us!!
Steada treated, we get tricked
Steada kisses, we get kicked
Itīs the hard knock life!!
[Jay-Z]
I flow for those īdroīed out; all my niggaz
locked down in the ten by foī, controllin the house
We live in hard knocks, we donīt take over we borrow blocks
Burn em down and you can have it back daddy, Iīd rather that
I flow for chicks wishin, they ainīt have to strip to pay tuition
I see you vision mama, I put my money on the longshots
All my ballers thatīs born to clock
Now Iīma be on top whether I perform or not
I went from lukewarm to hot; sleepin on futons and cots
to King Size, dream machines, the green fives
Iīve seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze lifeīs ills
Then I put it down type braile
Iīm tight grill with the phony, rappers yīall might feel we homies
Iīm like still, yīall donīt know me, shit!
Iīm tight grill when my situation ainīt improvin
Iīm tryin to murder everything movin, feel me?!
["Annie" sample]
Itīs the hard knock life, for us
Itīs the hard knock life, for us!!
Steada treated, we get tricked
Steada kisses, we get kicked
Itīs the hard knock life, for us
Itīs the hard knock life, for us!!
Steada treated, we get tricked
Steada kisses, we get kicked
Itīs the hard knock life!!
[Jay-Z]
I donīt how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes
Gotta a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes
Hustlingīs still inside of me, and as far as progress
youīd be hard-pressed, to find another rapper hot as me
I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and yīall lamed out
Didnīt really appreciate it, til the second one came out
So I stretched the game out, Xīed your name out
Put Jigga on top, and drop albums non-stop for ya, nigguh!
["Annie" sample]
Itīs the hard knock life, for us
Itīs the hard knock life, for us!!
Steada treated, we get tricked
Steada kisses, we get kicked
Itīs the hard knock life, for us
Itīs the hard knock life, for us!!
Steada treated, we get tricked
Steada kisses, we get kicked
Itīs the hard knock life!!
.. Itīs the hard knock life!!
.. Itīs the hard knock life!!