Verse 1: jay-z Yeah, ya'll n***as finished yo? Ya'll n***as finished? Got your little radio, play your little videos huh? You finished n***a, huh, huh, huh? Ya'll finished, can i live? huh, can i live? Yo, yo, yo i blacks out, i pulls da mack out Scream what's that about, then i clap out I get my fly on, and my drop on, due to write on Don't even hate on those who hate me, i got pac on Feelin it, feelin it, chickens are ice grillin it Cops pullin it over, jigga react militant Speed off Officer told me "turn the beat off" I truned it a level higher The return of the devil's fire I'm raised different, react in situations n***as lay stiff in Rookies blame it on the age difference My subliminal flows create criminal o's Sing along if you with me, till the end of the road I'm cynical, when in the view of the public and this is because I'm defensive i'm in of these views The percentage of those who don't understand Is higher than the percentage who do Check yourself, what percentage is you?, can i live? Chorus: jay-z For all my n***as with the all white air force ones And black guns stack ones yo, can i live? For all my chicks, b**hes, ho's stand bull legged like a bull dog You nah mean, uh, can i live? To all the c-low champs, two green dice and one red Stop the bank and roll head ya'll, can i live? To all my n***as who drink hennesey straight Cop mix tapes, and sell weight n***as Verse 2: jay-z I got the feds sendin me letters cause i'm schoolin the youth But they can't lock me down cause my tool is the truth Yeah i sold d** for a livin, that's a given, why is it? Why don't ya'll try to visit the neighborhoods i live in My mind been through hell, my neighborhood is crime central
Cops look you up more than try to defend you I push you to the limit when i'm needin the wealth And all i see is life's cycle just repeatin itself Ran into shorty boppin down the ave, on the way to glock his magnum He proceeded to show me a block of slab and said.. Memphis bleek: Ayo there's money out there i've just got to have When i catch up to these fiends, i'ma knock em on they a** Not to brag, sometimes i look at my life and laugh How i think about school and it taught me not to grab When i back out, let one out, let the barrel turn Holla at you f*ggots that it's block to burn That credit, you dead it, i know heads getting annoyin Knew all about a dope fiend before beaten down new goings Flippin boyin, using the right cut One thing that's f**ed up is bad dope that i can't pump This slab gotta re-up and re-bag Blend it in with the raw, bubblin fast, cop more Once i get it, i got it, i lock it Nobody pop sh** Sellin twenty's on my block b**h on some black top sh** What you want n***a?, what you want n***a? What you want, what you want n***a? can i live? Chorus: jay-z To all my n***as that hold coke in they bubble coat Tryin to win with the construction timbs yo, can i live? Ayo, esse, all my chicks that strip, booze Go to the store with the dobbie pins still in All my chicks with the credit card scams Two kids, one job, and no man All my chicks getting that washroom set with they welfare check All my n***as rockin them fitted caps tryin to get in this rap, nah mean? All my cats with open cases, big cars and no licenses I like that sh**, i see ya'll All my n***as that say pause after they say some f**ed up sh** Rock on, jigga sh**, roc-a-fella forever, yo,