Песня: Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) [Chorus:]
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 1:]
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 niggas know me to fail? Fuck, naw!
Where all my niggas with the rubber grips? Bust shots.
And if you with me, mama, rub on your tits and what-not.
I'm from the school of the hard knocks, you 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 niggas get ready!
[Chorus]
[Verse 2:]
I flow for those ‘droed out, all my niggas,
Locked down in the ten by four, 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 your vision, mama.
I put my money on the longshots, all my ballers that's born to clock,
Know, 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, to green 5's.
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 tryna murder everything movin', feel me?”
[Chorus]
[Verse 3:]
I don't know how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes,
Got a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes.
Hustlings 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 till the second one came out.
So I stretched the game out, etched your name out,
Put Jigga on top, and drop albums non-stop for ya, nigga!
[Chorus]
Перевод песни: Тяжёлая жизнь (Гимн гетто)
[Припев:] 1
Тяжела же жизнь у нас!
Тяжела же жизнь у нас!
Нам твердят: мы дураки,
И вместо ласок – тумаки.
Тяжела же жизнь!
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