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[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!!