Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) - Jay-Z

[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!!