Jay-Z:
Take the baseline out, uh huh
Jigga uh huh uh huh uh huh

Annie Sample:
It's the hard knock life for us (uh-huh)
It's the hard knock life for us
Instead of treated, we get tricked
Instead of kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!!

Verse 1:
>From standing on the corner poppin
To driving some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen
To dropping some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
>From the dope spot, where the smoke lock
Fleeing the murder scene, you know me well
>From nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell
But since when ya'll niggas know me to bail? Fuck Naw
Where all my niggas with the rubber grips, off shots
And if you with me ma I rubbing your tits, and what not
I'm form 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 50-50, uh huh
Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy, uh huh
Let's sip the Cris and get pissy pissy
Flow imminently 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, ya'll niggas get ready

Annie Sample:
It's the hard knock life for us
It's the hard knock life for us
Instead of treated, we get tricked
Instead of kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!!

Verse 2:
I flow for those droned out
All my niggas locked in the 10 by 4 controlling the house
We live in hard knocks we don't take over we bomb blocks
Burn 'em down and you can have 'em back daddy, I'd rather that
I flow for chicks wishing 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 born to glock
[ these lyrics found on http://www.completealbumlyrics.com ]
Now I'ma be on top whether I perform or not
I went from lukewarm to hot
Sleeping on futons and cots, the king size, dream machine to grief
I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills
Then I put it down tight grill
I'm tight grill with the phony rappers you might feel we homeys
I'm like still you don't know me, shit
I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improving
I'm trying to murder everything moving, Feel Me!!

Annie Sample:
It's the hard knock life for us
It's the hard knock life for us
Instead of treated, we get tricked
Instead of 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!!

Verse 3:
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
Hustlin still inside of me and as far as progress
You be hardpressed to find another rapper hot as me
I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and ya'll lamed out
Didn't really appreciate it till 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 nigga

Annie Sample:
It's the hard knock life for us
It's the hard knock life for us
Instead of treated, we get tricked
Instead of kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life for us
It's the hard knock life for us
Instead of treated, we get tricked
Instead of kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!!

It's the hard knock life!!

It's the hard knock life!!

Check the bassline out, uh-huh
Jigga (bounce wit it), uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh, yeahh
Let it bump though

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

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
No woman 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?!

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!

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!!

Hard Knock Life (Tradução)
Jay-Z

Composição: Jay-Z / Traduzido: Vitor Macedo

[Intro]
Chequem a saida do bassline, uh-huh
Jigga (segue a levada), uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh, yeah
Deixa o som tocar

[refrão: sample de Annie]
É uma vida dura (uh-huh) para nós
É uma vida dura, para nós!!
Ao invés de cuidarem de nós, nos ameaçam
Ao invés de nos beijarem, somos chutados
É uma vida muito dura!!

[Verso 1]
No começo ficava parados nas esquinas moscando
Agora dirijo alguns dos carros mais loucos que Nova Iorque já viu
Mandando um dos versos mais loucos que o Rap já ouviu
No passado nos pontos de drogas, com a minha Glock
Fugindo da cena do crime, vocês me conhecem
Dos pesadelos em uma cela vazia, meu único medo
Desde quando vocês me conhecem como um perdedor? Jamais ! Onde todos os meus manos com suas armas dando tiros
E se você concorda comigo mina, eu passo a mão no seu peito, e algo mais
Eu sou da escola dos bandidos, não podemos deixar
os intrusos violarem nossa quebrada,
E meu plano é tomar o mundo de assalto e dividir meio a meio, uh-huh
Vamos pegar o dinheiro e nos vestir bem, uh-huh
Beber uns Cris' e ficar muito louco
Com uma levada infinita como a memória de meu mano Biggie, baby!
Você sabe que a casa cai quando eu chego na cena
The Life And Time of Shawn Carter Volume 2
É melhor vocês se prepararem pra isso

[Refrão: sample Annie]

[Verso 2]
Eu rimo para os desesperados, todos meus manos
trancados numa cela, controlando a casa
Vivemos em bairros violentos, não tomamos casas, pedimos emprestado
Queimamos tudo e você pode pega-la de volta, prefiro assim
Eu rimo para as minas que me desejam, elas não precisam ficar nuas para me pagar
Eu sei o que você quer mama, coloco meu dinheiro numa apostas
Para todos os meus manos que nasceram para lutar
Eu sempre vou estar no topo, seja cantando ou não
Antes eu não era nada e agora sou o cara; dormia em sofás
e agora em uma King Size, máquinas de sonhos, várias verdes
Ficava vendo as tortas nos meus olhos e percebia que a vida era dura
Então comecei a dar meus pulos
Eu fico nervoso com os falsos, alguns rappers acham que são meus amigos
Eu continuo na minha, você não me conhece porra!
Eu fico nervoso quando a minha situação não melhora
Tento acabar com tudo que se move, entendeu?!

[Refrão: sample Annie]

[Verso 3]
Eu não consigo dormir, preciso comer, mas estou sempre ligeiro
Tenho muitas tretas, então é lógico, eu rezo pelos meus inimigos
A correria está dentro de mim, no que se refere a progresso
eu vou continuar te pressionando para encontrar outro rapper como eu
Eu te dei uma profecia no meu primeiro som, e vocês vacilaram
Não gostaram muito, até sair a segunda
Agora eu abri o jogo inteiro, apaguei o seu nome
Coloquei Jigga no topo, e não paro de lançar albuns pra vocês, nego!

[Refrão: sample Annie]