text: The Times And Life of Shawn Carter Lyrics
  In my lifetime, more than a million rhymes, no joking
  Ay, JAY... can I get open?
  Beyond reasonable doubt the industry made me wait
  Whats crazy is Im still spending money from 88
  Can I live and surprise the game? Think harder
  You know this brother
  JAY-Z
  Shawn Carter
  Brooklyn
  Marcy
  Where friends or foes can get it quick
  So I suggest you all roll with the click, bitch, who you wit?
  Its alright, just use your wits
  To know the difference between a 4.0 and a 4.6
  Young Hov and you can feel every word like braille
  Im a hustler, baby
  I can sell water to a whale
  The Mike Jordan of recording
  The truths in every word
  Yeah, its a hard knock life
  But its aight, ya heard?
  When the Remys in the system hear the track and take flight
  Im a business, man! He who writes check with a hand that dont write
  Okay! Im reloaded
  With too many classics
  Its the R.O.C. and we runnin this rap shit
  My flow is liable to go Michael; take your pick
  Jackson, Tyson, Jordan game 6
  In the zone like 2-3 and made it look too easy
  Cant leave rap alone, the game needs me
  Im from the other side where other guys were quick to pull your card
  And argue about whos the best emcee
  Biggie
  JAY-Z
  And Nas
  Man, the average rap fan couldnt pick just one of the three
  Its cool, Im out for dead presidents to represent me
  The takeover, the breaks over
  So you can get
  That
  Dirt off your shoulder
  Cuz if I hit you, Im brainless
  Now if you get me, youre famous; whats a brother to do?
  Damn! It gets tedious
  So I keep one eye open like CBS
  Im focused, man
  This is a one of one
  The hustlers poster child
  Ill show you how to do this, son
  So you can see what was what
  And who was who
  All the way from 4:44
  To 40/40s
  Down to 22 Twos
  Told yall, nobody wins when the family feuds
  My motto is simple: I will not lose
  Allow me to re-introduce myself: my name is Hov, H to the O-V
  Leader of the black gang, R.O.C., mane
  They say words are a weapon
  So when I shoot, meet your death in less than eight seconds
  Im from a place where the news cameras never come
  Where you can have 99 problems but a bitch aint one
  H to the Izzo
  V to the Izzay
  Yeah, Im out that Brooklyn
  Always see me reppin BK
  Cuz you cant knock the hustle
  So all we ask is trust
  Thats why Im overcharging em for what they did to the Cold Crush
  First off, I wanna thank my connect, dude
  Cuz whats better than one black billionaire?
  Twooooo
  They said I couldnt do it again so I did it again
  Only rapper to rewrite history with no pen
  Jiggaman, we did it, man, history made; you got to feel him
  No more Big Willie, my game is grown; prefer you call me William
  And if you cant respect that then your perspective is wack
  Maybe youll love me when I fade to black
  Youre witnessing the blueprint of how to pitch with no mound
  So gather round, hustlers cuz its... about... to go... down!
  Congrats, S. Carter: ghostwriter
  You paid the right price so we just made yo hits tighter... Embed