[Jay-Z]

Geah.. whassup?

Where's all my street niggaz, project niggaz

Real niggaz, worldwide

Let's reflect.. e'rybody got a story

We all ghetto B - here's mine

Geah



See I was -- born in sewage, born to make bomb music

Flow tight like I was born Jewish

Used the streets as a conduit - I kept arms

38 longs inside my mom's Buick

At any given moment Shawn could lose it, be on the news

Iron cuffs - arms through it; or stuffed with embalmin fluid

Shit, I'm goin through it - mom dukes too

Tears streamin down her pretty face, she got her palms to it

My life is gettin too wild

I need to bring some sort kinda calm to it

Bout to lose it; voices screamin "Don't do it!"

It's like '93, '94, bout the year

that Big and Mag dropped; and "Illmatic" rocked

outta every rag drop, and the West had it locked

Everybody doin 'em, I'm still scratchin on the block

like "Damn; I'ma be a failure"

Surrounded by thugs, drugs, and drug - paraphenalia

Cops courts, and their thoughts is to derail us

Three time felons in shorts with jealous thoughts

Tryin figure where your mail is, guesstimate the weight you sellin

So they can send shots straight to your melon; wait!

It gets worse, baby momma water burst

Baby came out stillborn, still I gotta move on

Though my heart still torn, life gone from her womb

Don't worry, if it was meant to be, it'll be -- soon



[Chorus: Jay-Z]

This can't be life, this can't be love

This can't be right, there's gotta be more, this can't be us

This can't be life, this can't be love

This can't be right, there's gotta be more, this can't be us



[Beanie Sigel]

Chill do