Hard knock life lyrics
by Jay Z



Take the bassline out, aha
Jigga, aha, aha, aha

It's the hard knock life (Ah) 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 standing on the corners boppin'
To driving some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen
For dropping some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
From the dope spot where the smoke lock, fleeing 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 bail, fuck naw
Where all my niggas with the rubber grips, bust shots
And if you with me ma I rubbing your tits and what not

I'm form 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, aha
Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy, aha

Let's sip the Crys and get pissy, pissy
Flow imminently like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby! (Baby)
You know it's hell when I come through
The life and times of Shawn Carter nigga Volume 2, y'all 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 droned out
All my niggas locked down in the 10 by 4 controlling 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 wishing 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 glock
Now I'ma be on top whether I perform or not

I went from lukewarm to hot
Sleeping on guitars and cots
The king size, dream machine to grief
I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze

Life's ills
Then I put it down tight grill
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 grill when my situation ain't improving
I'm trying to murder everything moving, 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
Gotta a lot of beef so logically I prey on my foes
Hustlin' still inside of me and as far as progress
You 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 'till 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!