Life Is What You Make It - Nas

[Featuring DMX]

[Nas] 
Yo ill will  ruff ryders 
what what  sraight like that 

You a killer or a hustler  dealer or customer 
Gangsta or buster  youngster or old nigga 
A weed head  a coke sniffer 
You rich or a broke nigga 
Know you all relate to this shit that i wrote niggas 
Lots of my mans trapped up in a max 
Penatentary  sending me letters i answer back 
That eventually  we all be bentley'ed out 
Throwing campaigns, fuck it I'm running for White House 
My niggas control Senate, pipe seats jeeps tinted 
Mad Lewinsky chicks, some kinky shit 
Did dirt now I knew it would come back one day 
So I'm on point, scrap, prepare for gunplay 
Stared at one face, thought it was beef he looked familiar 
Ready to blast ,nigga gave me daps said I feel ya 
Can't believe how my life changed 
>From the hood, the first time in my life I can say i did the right thing 

Chorus: 4x 
Life is what you make it nigga, I'ma make it 
No matter what it takes my nigga, we gonna take it(uh) 

[DMX] 
uh, uh, uh, uh, uh 
Everyday shit, around the way shit got me stressed (what) 
So i keep on the vest in case a nigga wanna test (uh) 
I got no time for games cause I'm all grown up 
You wanna joke nigga? laugh when you get blown up (come on) 
See how funny it is when your kids aint got no father 
Cause you played it sweet now you floating in the harbor (for real) 
Shit is hectic so respect it for your health (what) 
Didn't think it was right, you should've checked it yourself (come on) 
Life is too short to get caught up in some dumb shit 
Wake up one day, 40 years old on some bumb shit 
Time flew by, you was too fly to see the light 
Everyday it's getting darker then comes the night 
Now what? (what) realize that you ain't got shit (uh) 
Not long ago you was the man on some hot shit 
So just peep the flow yo, cause you already in this 
Make sure your shit is right kid and handke your business (uh huh) 

Chorus 

[Nas] 
Make history before you go 
Fuck the misery, you po we gettin doe 
Except the ?dollars? other reasons why I'm living yo (why?) 
Time is viable 
Low and behold the young, black, and powerful 
Got to eat yo, everyday my daughters feet grow 
You wack and cheap with the doe, my heat could blow 
Payin doctors when I'm born, a preacher when I'm buried 
That's why cash is needed for my kids to inherit 
Gotta pay just for living, tax life is a b'ness (business) 
If you catch a bad deal, watch your life deminish 
Deals made by God and the Devil, and we in it 
Pawns in the game, can't complain or say shit 
Just strap up and hold on, hope for the best 
prepare for the worse, no fears no nothing on earth 
No tears if I'm dumped in a hearse, I won't be the first 
Nor the last nigga, let's get this cash nigga