"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" lyrics - JAY-Z

Take the bassline out, uh huh
Jigga uh huh uh huh uh huh

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 standin' on the corners, boppin'
To drivin' some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen
To 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 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

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

I flow for those droed out
All my niggas locked down in the 10 by 4 controllin' the house
We live in hard knocks we don't take over we bomb blocks
Burn 'em down and you can have 'em 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 long shots, 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, green machines, to green 5's
I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills
Then I put it down tight real
I'm tight grill with the phony rappers, you might feel we homeys
I'm like still you don't know me, shit
I'm tight real when my situation ain't improvin'
I'm tryin' to murder everythin' movin', Feel Me

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 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

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
Hustlin' 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 ya 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 nigga

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 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
It's the Hard Knock Life
It's the Hard Knock Life