Hard Knock Life (ghetto Anthem) Lyrics - Now That's What I Call Music!

[Jay-Z] 

Check the bassline out, uh-huh 

Jigga (bounce wit it), uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh, yeahh 

Let it bump though 

["Annie" sample] 

It's the hard knock life (uh-huh) for us 

It's the hard knock life, for us!! 

Steada treated, we get tricked 

Steada kisses, we get kicked 

It's the hard knock life!! 

[Jay-Z] 

From standin on the corners boppin 

to drivin some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen 

For droppin some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard 

From the dope spot, with the smoke Glock 

fleein the murder scene, you know me well 

from nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell 

But since when y'all niggaz know me to fail? Fuck naw 

Where all my niggaz with the rubber grips, bust shots 

And if you with me mom I rub on your tits, and what-not 

I'm from 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 fifty/fifty, uh-huh 

Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy, uh-huh 

And sip the Cris' and get pissy-pissy 

Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby! 

You know it's hell when I come through 

The life and times of Shawn Carter 

nigga Volume 2, y'all niggaz get ready 

["Annie" sample] 

It's the hard knock life, for us 

It's the hard knock life, for us!! 

Steada treated, we get tricked 

Steada kisses, we get kicked 

It's the hard knock life!! 

[Jay-Z] 

I flow for those 'dro'ed out; all my niggaz 

locked down in the ten by fo', controllin the house 

We live in hard knocks, we don't take over we borrow blocks 

Burn em down and you can have it back daddy, I'd rather that 

I flow for chicks wishin, 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 clock 

Now I'ma be on top whether I perform or not 

I went from lukewarm to hot; sleepin on futons and cots 

to King Size, dream machines, the green fives 

I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills 

Then I put it down type braile 

I'm tight grill with the phony, rappers y'all might feel we homies 

I'm like still, y'all don't know me, shit! 

I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improvin 

I'm tryin to murder everything movin, feel me?! 

["Annie" sample] 

It's the hard knock life, for us 

It's the hard knock life, for us!! 

Steada treated, we get tricked 

Steada kisses, we get kicked 

It's the hard knock life, for us 

It's the hard knock life, for us!! 

Steada treated, we get tricked 

Steada kisses, we get kicked 

It's the hard knock life!! 

[Jay-Z] 

I don't how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes 

Gotta a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes 

Hustling's still inside of me, and as far as progress 

you'd be hard-pressed, 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, til 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, nigguh! 

["Annie" sample] 

It's the hard knock life, for us 

It's the hard knock life, for us!! 

Steada treated, we get tricked 

Steada kisses, we get kicked 

It's the hard knock life, for us 

It's the hard knock life, for us!! 

Steada treated, we get tricked 

Steada kisses, we get kicked 

It's the hard knock life!! 

.. It's the hard knock life!! 

.. It's the hard knock life!!