* this version is final, no more corrections accepted
[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] It's the hard knock life (uh-huh) for us It's the hard knock life, for us!! Steada treated, we get tricked Steada kisses, we get kicked It's 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 y'all 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 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 fifty/fifty, uh-huh Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy, uh-huh And sip the Cris' and get pissy-pissy Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby! You know it's hell when I come through The life and times of Shawn Carter nigga Volume 2, y'all niggaz get ready
["Annie" sample] It's the hard knock life, for us It's the hard knock life, for us!! Steada treated, we get tricked Steada kisses, we get kicked It's the hard knock life!!
[Jay-Z] I flow for those 'dro'ed out; all my niggaz locked down in the ten by fo', controllin the house We live in hard knocks, we don't take over we borrow blocks Burn em down and you can have it back daddy, I'd rather that I flow for chicks wishin, they ain't have to strip to pay tuition I see you vision mama, I put my money on the longshots All my ballers that's born to clock Now I'ma 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 I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills Then I put it down type braile I'm tight grill with the phony, rappers y'all might feel we homies I'm like still, y'all don't know me, shit! I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improvin I'm tryin to murder everything movin, feel me?!
["Annie" sample] It's the hard knock life, for us It's the hard knock life, for us!! Steada treated, we get tricked Steada kisses, we get kicked It's the hard knock life, for us It's the hard knock life, for us!! Steada treated, we get tricked Steada kisses, we get kicked It's the hard knock life!!
[Jay-Z] I don't how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes Gotta a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes Hustling's still inside of me, and as far as progress you'd 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, til 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, nigguh!
["Annie" sample] It's the hard knock life, for us It's the hard knock life, for us!! Steada treated, we get tricked Steada kisses, we get kicked It's the hard knock life, for us It's the hard knock life, for us!! Steada treated, we get tricked Steada kisses, we get kicked It's the hard knock life!! .. It's the hard knock life!! .. It's the hard knock life!!
