Can you hear me now? Good! (Blueprint 2 baby!)
The best of times, it was the worst of times (aoww)
It's "The Gift & the Curse"
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
R.O.C. yeah, number one click here
If you represent US, throw them diamonds up yeah
Now let's be CLEAR, I ain't goin nowhere
Now that you KNOW, holla at your boy
Hov' (Hov', Hov', Hov')
(Hov', Hov', Hov', Hov')
[overlapping first Chorus]
Yeah, Roc-A-Fella Records
You know what diamond is
We ain't going nowhere, put your diamonds up
[Jay-Z]
Standing in my B-boy stance
Free, Beans, Memphis where you at n****?
(Right here) s***** Cam and it's a rap
This here rap belong to us, nobody strong as us, it's a fact
Hold up I'm just warming up, gimme a second to get it back
Young Chris, Neek what? Oschino and Sparks
Next summer's yo' summer, tear this m*********** up
Young is eternal, my young'uns'll burn you
"The Blueprint" birthed, n**** I earthed you, you can't be serious
Young cause I'm thirty-two, dressed like I'm twenty-two
Flow like a 18, do what I want to do
Going on my 8th ring, got Phil Jackson's and
Flow is black magic, I'm at it again
Rose Bowl with black karats, "Horse & Carriage" to spend
Like Mason Betha, chasing this cheddar, to the end
Of the road because the end I'm told is nearer than we know
What can I say but live for today,Hov'!
[Chorus]
[Jay-Z]
Yeah, "The Blueprint 2" homey, follow the moves
You put on two tube socks, you couldn't walk in my shoes
I was dealt a bad hand, f*** what else could I do
But keep somethin up my sleeve that'll help me through
But can you believe, everywhere I'm at, models come through
Cat-fightin, cat-walkin, it happens often
It's true how society don't want me to move
Into the penthouse building with spectacular views
They're like uhh, "He's a menace he could never be a tenant"
I'm like ooh, what's a young n**** to do?
I bring the brothers to the building give a feeling that I don't
Give a f*** we just chilling watching chandelier ceilings high as f***
Old lady, don't blow my high
'specially if you don't know my life, don't make me bring
Sharpton in it cause I'm dark-skinneded or
Dude with the 'fro and the Rainbow Coalition, I'ma
Victim of a single parent household, born in a mouse hole
Mousetrap, n***** want to know
How so, how Jay get up out that, here, yeah
I s*****ed purses I per-se-vered, yeah
I had work, fiends purchased, it was clear
I was out there selling hope for despair, but stop there
I swear, I only make good from my mouth to God's ears
Had to get out the hood
And I can't justify genocide
But I was born in the city where the skinny n***** die
Born in the city where the skinny n***** ride
And as a skinny n**** I had beef with high size
[Chorus]
The best of times, it was the worst of times (aoww)
It's "The Gift & the Curse"
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
R.O.C. yeah, number one click here
If you represent US, throw them diamonds up yeah
Now let's be CLEAR, I ain't goin nowhere
Now that you KNOW, holla at your boy
Hov' (Hov', Hov', Hov')
(Hov', Hov', Hov', Hov')
[overlapping first Chorus]
Yeah, Roc-A-Fella Records
You know what diamond is
We ain't going nowhere, put your diamonds up
[Jay-Z]
Standing in my B-boy stance
Free, Beans, Memphis where you at n****?
(Right here) s***** Cam and it's a rap
This here rap belong to us, nobody strong as us, it's a fact
Hold up I'm just warming up, gimme a second to get it back
Young Chris, Neek what? Oschino and Sparks
Next summer's yo' summer, tear this m*********** up
Young is eternal, my young'uns'll burn you
"The Blueprint" birthed, n**** I earthed you, you can't be serious
Young cause I'm thirty-two, dressed like I'm twenty-two
Flow like a 18, do what I want to do
Going on my 8th ring, got Phil Jackson's and
Flow is black magic, I'm at it again
Rose Bowl with black karats, "Horse & Carriage" to spend
Like Mason Betha, chasing this cheddar, to the end
Of the road because the end I'm told is nearer than we know
What can I say but live for today,Hov'!
[Chorus]
[Jay-Z]
Yeah, "The Blueprint 2" homey, follow the moves
You put on two tube socks, you couldn't walk in my shoes
I was dealt a bad hand, f*** what else could I do
But keep somethin up my sleeve that'll help me through
But can you believe, everywhere I'm at, models come through
Cat-fightin, cat-walkin, it happens often
It's true how society don't want me to move
Into the penthouse building with spectacular views
They're like uhh, "He's a menace he could never be a tenant"
I'm like ooh, what's a young n**** to do?
I bring the brothers to the building give a feeling that I don't
Give a f*** we just chilling watching chandelier ceilings high as f***
Old lady, don't blow my high
'specially if you don't know my life, don't make me bring
Sharpton in it cause I'm dark-skinneded or
Dude with the 'fro and the Rainbow Coalition, I'ma
Victim of a single parent household, born in a mouse hole
Mousetrap, n***** want to know
How so, how Jay get up out that, here, yeah
I s*****ed purses I per-se-vered, yeah
I had work, fiends purchased, it was clear
I was out there selling hope for despair, but stop there
I swear, I only make good from my mouth to God's ears
Had to get out the hood
And I can't justify genocide
But I was born in the city where the skinny n***** die
Born in the city where the skinny n***** ride
And as a skinny n**** I had beef with high size
[Chorus]