[00:03.67]Check the bassline out, uh huh
[00:08.03]Jigga, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, yeah
[00:11.36]Let it bump though
[00:13.23]It's the hard knock life, for us
[00:15.64]It's the hard knock life, for us
[00:17.86]Steada treated, we get tricked
[00:20.85]Steada kisses, we get kicked
[00:23.95]It's the hard knock life
[00:25.47]From standin' on the corners boppin'
[00:27.43]To drivin' some of the hottest cars, New York has ever seen
[00:30.39]For droppin' some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
[00:33.46]From the **** spot, with the smoke glock
[00:35.69]Fleein' the murder scene, you know me well
[00:37.66]From nigh****ares of a lonely cell, my only hell
[00:40.68]But since when y'all *****z know me to fail? ***** naw
[00:43.66]Where all my *****z with the rubber grips, bust shots?
[00:47.00]And if you with me, mom, I rub on your *****, and what not
[00:49.89]I'm from the school of the hard knocks, we must not
[00:53.13]Let outsiders violate our blocks, and my plot
[00:56.17]Let's stick up the world and split it fifty-fifty
[00:59.30]Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy
[01:02.49]And sip the cris' and get pissy pissy
[01:04.99]Flow infinitely like the memory of my ***** biggie, baby
[01:08.69]You know it's hell when I come through
[01:11.18]The life and times of Shawn Carter
[01:14.01]***** Volume 2, y'all *****z get ready
[01:14.31]It's the hard knock life, for us
[01:17.19]It's the hard knock life, for us
[01:20.26]Steada treated, we get tricked
[01:23.35]Steada kisses, we get kicked
[01:26.16]It's the hard knock life!
[01:28.40]I flow for those 'dro'ed out all my *****z
[01:31.22]Locked down in the ten by fo', controllin' the house
[01:33.99]We live in hard knocks, we don't take over we borrow blocks
[01:36.30]Burn 'em down and you can have it back, daddy, I'd rather that
[01:39.26]I flow for chicks wi*****n', they ain't have to strip to pay tuition
[01:43.87]I see you vision mama, I put my money on the longshots
[01:45.74]All my ballers that's born to clock
[01:49.60]Now I'ma be on top whether I perform or not
[01:52.63]I went from lukewarm to hot, sleepin' on futons and cots
[01:56.30]To king size dream machines, the green fives
[01:59.09]I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes *****yze life's ills
[02:03.00]Then I put it down type braille
[02:04.91]I'm tight grill with the phony, rappers y'all might feel we homies
[02:08.89]I'm like still, y'all don't know me, *****t
[02:11.34]I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improvin'
[02:14.22]I'm tryin' to murder everything movin', feel me
[02:16.89]It's the hard knock life, for us
[02:19.11]It's the hard knock life, for us
[02:22.52]Steada treated, we get tricked
[02:25.65]Steada kisses, we get kicked
[02:28.81]It's the hard knock life, for us
[02:32.07]It's the hard knock life, for us
[02:35.05]Steada treated, we get tricked
[02:38.17]Steada kisses, we get kicked
[02:41.29]It's the hard knock life
[02:42.38]I don't know how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes
[02:45.74]Gotta a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes
[02:48.63]Hustling's still inside of me, and as far as progress
[02:51.63]You'd be hard-pressed, to find another rapper hot as me
[02:54.76]I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and y'all lamed out
[02:58.11]Didn't really appreciate it, till the second one came out
[03:00.96]So I stretched the game out, x'ed your name out
[03:03.77]Put jigga on top, drop albums non-stop for ya, *****
[03:06.47]It's the hard knock life, for us
[03:09.30]It's the hard knock life, for us
[03:12.60]Steada treated, we get tricked
[03:15.75]Steada kisses, we get kicked
[03:18.59]It's the hard knock life, for us
[03:21.83]It's the hard knock life, for us
[03:24.89]Steada treated, we get tricked
[03:28.02]Steada kisses, we get kicked
[03:30.78]It's the hard knock life
[03:43.97]It's the hard knock life
[03:56.39]It's the hard knock life