Album: The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse





(feat. Paul Anka)



[singing: Paul Anka + (Jay-Z)]

Now, the end is near (Can you believe this shit Guru?)

So I face (I'm from the hood man) the final curtain

(No the REAL hood the hood, not the RAP hood)

(The REAL hood, like three pair of pants)

My friends, I'll say it clear (pair of sneakers)

(My moms is bustin her ass) State my case

(Nigga I'm goin to Japan tomorrow!) Which I'm certain

(You understand what I'm sayin? Can you believe that?)

I lived a life that's full (They have people, waitin)

(at the airport like five days like I'm a Beatle or somethin)

(That's really somethin!) And I travelled each, and every highway

(Seen the best of the best, the worst of the worst) and more

Much more than this (still here) I did it myyyyyy wayyyyyyy

Let's try this one



[Jay-Z + (singer)]

Uhh, yeah... gangsta nigga!

Put my hustle down, tore the game up nigga

Took your high score down, put my name up nigga

Tore the doors down 'til the Hall of Fame is Jigga

I did it my way (and more.. much more than this)

That's right, it's a beautiful thing man!

(I did it myyyyyy wayyyyyyy) I did it my way -- Hovi baby!



Momma's youngest and strongest, survived summers like saunas

Mastered a corner like Deion in his uniform

Pop hurtin assertive, flirted with death

Damn near murdered before my first album hit the shelf

Grandma's favorite, she could not understand

how there's people in the world who wouldn't want me as a neighbor

Has to explain to her, you think these folks want me in the penthouse

as a reminder that I make top paper?

Black entrepeneur, nobody did us no favors

Nobody gave us shit, we made us

The Rap Pack, I'm Sinatra, Dame's Sam Davis

Big's the smart one on the low like Dean Martin

We came in this game, not beggin niggaz pardon

Demandin y'all respect, hand over a check

And while y'all at it, hand over the jet

We the reason they ain't hand over Def Jam so quick

They new every year I was droppin new product

I was raisin the stock up, while buildin the Roc up

But that's alright, cause they knew they had to see us

When it was time for us to re-up, make us multi-million-ires

Je-je-jeah!



(And more, much more than this; I did it myyyyyy wayyyyyyy)



Jeah! "In My Lifetime"

I caught smaller cases, but I had capital

Hypocritic system let me right back at you

You better hope a rich rapper never attacks you

Not even that scratches you, 'specially if you black dude

They don't give a shit unless the accused just happen to rap

And they can look good by paintin him as bad news

Cause in my past, I seen dudes get half of they views

exposed to the curb and nobody said a word

So imagine how disturbed I was

When I seen how big they made my fight scene at the club

Let me explain exactly how this shit was

This nigga Un yo I scratched him, he went home without an aspirin

But it's cool cause he's back friends, and half-inning is over

It's in the past and I'm glad, now I'm back to bein Hova

Me back with the chaffeur, laid back

Helicopter seat, feat inclined, shit feelin like a sofa

Helicopter meet me, Teta Vero(?) take me over

somewhere peaceful for the weekend now it's back to speakin of vultures

So the next time that page six approaches us

Here's a quote from Jay, nigga I did it my - way



(And more, much more than this; I did it myyyyyy wayyyyyyy)