produced by mark the 45 king
take the bass line out
uhhuh jigga
uhhuh uhhuh uhhuh yeah
let it bump though
it’s the hard knock life for us
it’s the hard knock life for us
instead of treated we get tricked
instead 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
from 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 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 your tits and whatnot
i’m from the school of the hard knocks you must not
let outsiders violate our blocks and my plot
let’s stick up the world and split it 5050 uhhuh
let’s take the dough and stay real jiggy uhhuh
and sip the cris’ and get pissypissy
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
y’all niggas get ready
it’s the hard knock life for us
it’s the hard knock life for us
instead of treated we get tricked
instead of kisses we get kicked
it’s the hard knock life
i flow for those ‘dro’ed out
all my niggas locked down in the 0 by four 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 your vision mama
i put my money on the longshots
all my ballers that’s born to clock
know 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 type braille
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 tryna murder everything movin’ feel me
it’s the hard knock life for us
it’s the hard knock life for us
instead of treated we get tricked
instead of kisses we get kicked
it’s the hard knock life
it’s the hard knock life for us
it’s the hard knock life for us
instead of treated we get tricked
instead 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 lotta beef so logically i prey on my foes
hustlin’ is still inside of me and as far as progress
you’d be hardpressed 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 etched your name out
put jigga on top and dropped albums nonstop for ya nigga
it’s the hard knock life for us
it’s the hard knock life for us
instead of treated we get tricked
instead of kisses we get kicked
it’s the hard knock life
Artist: Jay Z
Year: 1998
Decade: 90s
Language: en
Word Count: 342