JAY-Z — This Life Forever

[Intro] Blackhand Enertainment Roc-A-Fella Records In association with the streets The Black Gangster In conjunction with everything official Yeah [Verse 1] I ride through the ghetto windows down halfway Halfway out of my mind music on 9, blasting Donny Hathaway Me and my niggas spending half the day Plotting, how we gon' get this math today without getting blast away I wake up to the same problems after today Life is harsh, nigga got a right to spark Right from the start, they place me in the ghetto, tender age of nine My tender mind had to surrender to crime Wouldn't wish this on nobody life to end up like mine Ever since I was quite young a nigga been in a bind Had to scratch for every plaque, even rap ain't all it's cracked up to be Niggas don't stack up to me Had to hustle in a world of trouble Trapped in, claustrophobic, the only way out was rapping America don't understand it, the demographics I tapped in I'm the truest nigga to do this, nigga, and anything else is foolish Like those who stay high, under God's grey skies My lyrics is like Bible, made to save lives In the midst of all your misery nigga, stay fly Never let em see you frown, even smile when you down Shit, I floss on my off-days, fuck what they all say Niggas can't stop me with rumors, I'm too strong All day, socks explode and sweatpants pockets is bulging Holdin' it down on the corner with my block frozen My spot is rolling, drop the price on the coke and Drove the competition out and let the dough flow in The cops is closing in, I can do the time But what's really on my mind, there ain't no hoes in the pen I play the low and try and make it hard to find me Feds still tryna build a case since '93 I told them I'm retired, but they like whatever You know them pigs don't wanna see you get your life together [Chorus] I'm stuck in this life forever The more things change the more they stay the same Who am I to change the game? You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine The block's hotter than its ever been (Once again) [Verse 2] Hold the gun at eye level, I ain't afraid of conflict I let the nine rip, nigga say "hi" to the devil I blind with the bezel, I'm in line with the ghetto What y'all niggas afraid of, my mind or the metal? Niggas tryna subtract my life, my mathematics is precise I carry the 9, so fucking with me just ain't the answer I just can't lose when I was young I was like Fresh Poppa raised me to chess moves And though you're gone, I'm not bitter, you left me prepared We got divided by the years, but I got it from here Don't sweat that, sounds bump from Marcy to LeFrak To that project in DC where my man caught his death at Over my years I've seen Rooks get tooken by the Knight Lose they Crown by tryna defend a Queen Checkmate in 4 moves, the Bobby Fischer of rap with raw moves In a time where we all move Let's face it: either you're dough chasing or basing Lacing, crack's got you feelin' strong like Mason Careful, any infiltration, I'm leaving niggas Leaking more than just information [Chorus] I'm stuck in this life forever The more things change the more they stay the same Who am I to change the game? You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine The block's hotter than its ever been I'm stuck in this life forever The more things change the more they stay the same Who am I to change the game? You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine The block's hotter than its ever been [Outro] Uh, real shit, huh The Black Gangsta Blackhand Entertainment Roc-A-Fella They'll never interrupt this thing of ours Uhh, The Black Gangsta Jigga, Hova Roll with me now