[Chorus]
It’s the Hard Knock Life for us
It’s the Hard Knock Life for us
Stead of treated, we get tricked
Stead of kisses, we get kicked
It’s the Hard Knock Life

From standing on the corners, boppin
To driving some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen
To dropping some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
From the dope spot with the smoke glock fleeing the murder scene

You know me well from nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell
But since when ya’ll niggas know me to fail? Fuck naw
Where all my niggas with the rubber grips, bust shots
And if you with me, mama rub on ya tits, and what not
I’m from the school of the hard knocks, we must not
Let outsiders violate our blocks, and my plot
Let’s stick up the world and split it 50-50, uh huh
Let’s take the dough and stay real jiggy, uh huh
Let’s sip the Cris and get pissy pissy
Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby!
You know its hell when I come through
The life and times of Shawn Carter nigga Volume 2
Ya’ll niggas get ready

[Chorus]

[Chorus]

I don’t know how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes
Got a lot of beef so logically I prey on my foes
Hustling still inside of me and as far as progress
You be hard-pressed to find another rapper hot as me
I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and y’all lamed out
Didn’t really appreciate it till the second one came out
So I stretched the game out, X’ed your name out
Put Jigga on top, and drop albums non-stop for ya nigga

It was all a dream
I used to read Word Up magazine
Salt ‘n’ Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hanging pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
I let my tape rock ’til my tape popped
Smokin’ weed and bamboo, sippin’ on private stock
Way back, when I had the red and black lumberjack
With the hat to match
Remember Rappin’ Duke, duh-ha, duh-ha
You never thought that hip hop would take it this far
Now I’m in the limelight ’cause I rhyme tight
Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade
Born sinner, the opposite of a winner
Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner
Peace to Ron G, Brucey B, Kid Capri
Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starsky
I’m blowin’ up like you thought I would
Call the crib, same number same hood
It’s all good
Uh, and if you don’t know, now you know, nigga, uh

[Chorus]
You know very well who you are
Don’t let em hold you down, reach for the stars
You had a goal, but not that many
Cause you’re the only one
I’ll give you good and plenty

[Chorus]

Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis
When I was dead broke, man I couldn’t picture this
50 inch screen, money green leather sofa
Got two rides, a limousine with a chauffeur
Phone bill about two G’s flat
No need to worry, my accountant handles that
And my whole crew is loungin’
Celebratin’ every day, no more public housin’
Now my mom pimps a Ac’ with minks on her back
And she loves to show me off, of course
Smiles every time my face is up in The Source
We used to fuss when the landlord dissed us
No heat, wonder why Christmas missed us
Birthdays was the worst days
Now we sip champagne when we thirst-ay
Uh, damn right I like the life I live
Cause I went from negative to positive
And it’s all… it’s all good
…and if you don’t know, now you know, nigga, uh

Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots
I give a holler to my sisters on welfare
Tupac cares, if don’t nobody else care
And uhh, I know they like to beat ya down a lot
When you come around the block brothas clown a lot
But please don’t cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive but don’t forget, girl keep your head up
And when he tells you you ain’t nuttin don’t believe him
And if he can’t learn to love you you should leave him
Cause sista you don’t need him
And I ain’t tryin to gas ya up, I just call em how I see em
You know it makes me unhappy (what’s that)
When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
I think it’s time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women
Be real to our women
And if we don’t we’ll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
And since a man can’t make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up
I know you’re fed up ladies, but keep your head up

[Chorus]
Keep ya head up
Ooooh child things are gonna get easier
Ooooh child things’ll get brighter

[Chorus]

And uhh
To all the ladies havin babies on they own
I know it’s kinda rough and you’re feelin all alone
Daddy’s long gone and he left you by ya lonesome
Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want em
Cause I think we can make it, in fact, I’m sure
And if you fall, stand tall and comeback for more
Cause ain’t nuttin worse than when your son
wants to know why his daddy don’t love him no mo’
You can’t complain you was dealt this
Hell of a hand without a man, feelin helpless
Because there’s too many things for you to deal with
Dying inside, but outside you’re looking fearless
While da tears is rollin down your cheeks
Ya steady hopin things don’t fall down this week
Cause if it did, you couldn’t take it, and don’t blame me
I was given this world I didn’t make it
And now my son’s getten older and older and cold
From havin the world on his shoulders
While the rich kids is drivin Benz
I’m still tryin to hold on to survivin friends
And it’s crazy, it seems it’ll never let up, but
please… you got to keep your head up

[Chorus]
Look, I don’t curse, but in this verse man fuck the world
I lost my father to da gun and made a little girl
And I’m still thuggin’ wit’ my niggas tryna’ keep it real
And I’m still doin for my mother and I’m payin’ bills

Give me a cigarette, my nerves bad
The FEDs said they heard that I know where them birds at
And my old lady say she saw me with anotha brizza
And some a dem boys shot up my block so now I gotta kill ‘em
And teachers keep tellin’ my momma that I’m gettin’ worse
And now she trippin talkin ’bout I need to be in church
And my lil’ girl whole family tryna’ lie in court
Tryna’ put me on child support
And whole family deny me of what I do ’cause I’m a ‘thug and stuff’
Plus, my niggas keep fallin to them drugs and stuff
That dope got these niggas meltin away
Man they got clowns right around me, kill they self everyday
We keep fightin but they so strong
I know it’s hard but don’t give up baby hold on
Just keep ya fate, count blessings, and keep ya trust
And grab ya nuts and let ‘em know that we don’t give a fuck
We don’t give a fuck

I mean the world just ain’t gon’ never change
So I just keep my head up and my nuts, let ‘em hang
Dawg I swear it’s very rough out here for the youngstas
Like everybody against me ’cause I’m a young thug
Dear Rabbit, why they have to kill Rabbit?
But I’m a keep you alive, nigga, I’m Lil’ Rabbit
That’s why this lil’ nigga be buggin like it’s no tomorrow
I only can depend on macita and C-M-R
I try my best to make it through the night and live today
But I’m upset so I’m steady wipin’ tears away
And police got me under surveilance when and wherever
Wrackin they brains, tryna’ figure where I’m gettin cheddar
I tell my family just leave me a-damn-lone
I can handle all a my business, this lil’ man grown
But I try to forget about it and just stand strong
But if everythang was cool I wouldn’t write this damn song
Fuck the world

[Young Bleed]
Nigga say who that, heard they want do that
Run up if you will get yo ass whipped blue black
My nigga my nerve fresh off the curb
Jelly jam and preserve, nothin but balls and my word
And a mossburg pistol grip pump on my lap at all times
Whateva my nigga cause young niggaz still dyin
Hollin bout huh nigga what huh give a fuck nigga what
Full of that weed, planted like a poppy seed
A slanted and enchanted nappy nigga named Young Bleed Corleone
in the jungle, where the murder million mumble for months and days
Trippin off these blunts we blaze, hell of a high
And tellin em why, I’ma neva say die, see it my eyes
And niggaz say I fly like a eagle, see no evil
And ain’t no sequel to this here, this year I’m bailin in the dough
Supernatural, wicked, y’all niggaz don’t hear me though
But see how they runnin everything on the cool
But they know I’m fittin to act a fool in this motherfucker

Niggaz holla how you do that there
From Texas to Atlanta, nigga we don’t care
Niggaz holla how you do that there
Missouri, Ohio, nigga we don’t care
I hear they holla, how you do that there
D.C. to tha Valley, nigga we don’t care
And niggaz holla how you do that there
California to Virginia nigga, we don’t care

[Master P]
See in these streets, anything goes
My cousin in tha pen hittin that iron gettin swoll
Sent me a letter said P get yo paper don’t trust these hoes
These niggaz they’ll take you, hustlin is a habit
Young bread cabbage, popcorn and grits nigga tryin to get a rabbit
What about a nice stallion to slide in, twenty inch Vogues and some candy
painted to ride in, niggaz flip change in the game cause we soldiers
Eyes ever red cause a nigga blowin doja
Tie the black shoe strangs, tight on the Reeboks
Grab yo ski mask, DKNY, I mean a plastic glock
Hoes bounce that ass, niggaz get dealt wit
Keep yo’ enemy tight, nigga never think quick
Pour out some liquor to tha homies I owe
R.I.P. to every fuckin rapper, that is gone
Nigga if you Bout It, scream and you shout it
It ain’t where you from, every nigga get rowdy
Game get real, nigga guard yo’ grill
Cause in the fuckin ghetto you could lose yo’ life foe a dollar bill

[C-Loc]
It’s wicked, when I kick it, you don’t hear me though
When I hit tha do’, best hit it tha flo’, time to go
Pay tha cost, to be tha boss, in this rap shit, about as wicked
It’s gon’ get, in tha industry, I be, bringin’ tha action
In this musical fashion, if you don’t know fool you betta ask em
Cause fools that wanna get wit I get wit em
When I put my gloves on, I’m bout to get em gone, so long
Please mama may I, go out and be a playa, sippin’ on Hennessey
A million bitches want me, my nigga passed tha herb, I took a toke
I’m stayin’ true, cuz what eva’ he down wit I’m down wit it too
So don’t get full of that alcohol in tha club and thank you bad
Cuz if ya’ll niggas start fuckin’ up somebody gon’ kick yo ass
Now who’s that makin’ that funky noise, it’s tha locster comin’ through
Wit all his boyz, fucked up and let a nigga get tha right place in time
So now foolz I’m goin’ fo’ mine, motherfuckers ugh

Niggaz holla how you do that there
From New York to Oklahoma nigga we don’t care
I hear they holla how you do that there
Minnesota to Michigan we don’t care
Give a fuck niggaz holla how you do that there
Illinois to Indiana nigga we don’t care
I hear they holla how you do that there
Cause true niggaz is bout it and we don’t care
How we do dat there

Do I really want my baby?
Brother, tell me what to do
I know you got to get your hustle on
So I pray
I understand the game, sometimes
And our love is strong, but

What you gonna do when they come for you?
Work ain’t honest but it pays the bills (yes it does)
What we gonna do when they come for you?
God, I can’t stand life without cha

[E-40]
Why was I born in these trifling ass times?
Why is it mandatory that I carry knives?
Don’t be too ???? cuz even white folks get jacked too
Doctors, high class lawyers and even Japs too
You ask me why I speak the real the way I feel
How come we call bitches hoes and you call us niggeros?
They want to do me like they did Stacks
What is this young black man doing off tha scratch? huh
I see some timahs on the yayo track readin they mail
Talking bout “I got white girl for sale”
But they ain’t talking to me cuz I’m an oldie and they knows that
I used to be just like them I tell them “y’all get that scratch”
Magazine was never nothing like Bel Air
High speed shoot outs and shit but I loved it there
40 where you’ve been playa, it’s been a while?
Marinatin’ accumulating paper pal
Y’all kind of doin it huh, you still grindin?
Hell yeah, you know them tapes you keep rewinding
Money ain’t changed me, money changed the way people think about me
When I was broke all I had was my family
You know what kills me though them fuckin’ numskulls
I hate when blacks be clowin blacks on all these talk shows
It’s bad enough we shootin up each other tragically
Two days ago they found some brother smothered badly
Nobody’s to be trusted in this day and age
To much jealousy and envy on the wrong page
And fuck the po po because that 39% tax I pay
Don’t get me nothin but a choke hold and some pepper spray

[E-40]
Our father who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come
That’s the prayer that I say so spread the word
And if you feeling down and out read Proverbs
You know that I’ve been tweakin off something strange
Startin to see a lot of womens at the shootin range
Domestic violence but here’s an old ghetto myth
My partnas auntie scald her boyfriend with some hot grits
I’m from the G-E double T-T to the oh no
Where only few dare to go

[Lil E]
I spits game like a soldier
tonk since I told you this
Rap kingpin giant
Six years old vocalist
You don’t want to see me
Do it like I do that
All up in your tall-can face I tell you get more scrizatch
Y’alll need to get up on it
The game is way too deep
I’m not your average hustler
I be creepin while you sleep
Game, straight game
Get up on it , straight game

[Chorus]
One day you’re here, baby
And then you’re gone
The next day you’re gone

[Bun B]
This world we livin in man it aint nuthin but drama
Everyone wanna harm ya in New york niggas gettin shot fo bombers
Now they got yo life in the palm of they hand
Like California niggas with that hydroponic marijuana
Gangbangin got the ghetto hotter than a sauna
Down in Orange my nigga Pop died on the corner
Behind a funky-ass dice game
I saw him once before he died wished it was twice man
I remember bein eight deep off in Chucky crib
Lettin us act bad not givin a fuck what we did
When we lost him I knew the world was comin to the end
And I had to quit lettin that devil push me to a sin
My brother been in the pen fo damn near ten
But now it looks like when he come out man I’m goin in
So shit I walk around wit my mind blown in my own fuckin zone
Cause one day you here but the next day you gone

[Pimp C]
I’m up early cuz aint enough light in the daytime
Smoke two sweets ?????
Peanut holder my boulders smolder on the PA pipes
Ak loader as I get swallowed under city lights
Niggas be lookin shife so I look shife back
Cant show no weakness with these bitches you’ll get yo life jacked
Man its a trip where I stay especially for me
Them bitches tryin to lock me up for the whole century
They gave my nigga down in Florida Dante 19
I wish that we could smoke again and take a tight lean
My world a trip you can ask Bun B bitch I aint no liar
My man Bo Bo just lost his baby in a house fire
And then when I got on my knees that night to pray
I asked God why he let these killas live and take my homeboy’s son away
Man if you got kids show em you love em cuz God jus might call em home
Cuz one day you here but baby the next day you gone