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
An' if you with me, mom, I rub on your tits an' what not

I'm from the school of the hard knocks, we must not
Let outsiders violate our blocks an' my plot
Let's stick up the world an' split it fifty-fifty
Let's take the dough an' stay real jiggy

An' sip the Cris an' get pissy pissy
Flow infinitely, like the memory of my nigga, Biggie, baby
You know it's Hell when I come through
The life an' 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

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 an' 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 long shots
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 an' cots to king size
Dream machines to green fives
I've seen pies, let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills
Then I put it down, type Braille

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 everythin' 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

It's the hard knock life
It's the hard knock life