[Produced By: Mark the 45 King] [Hook] 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 standing on the corners boppin', to driving some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen For dropping some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard From the dope spot, with the smoke Glock Fleeing the murder scene, you know me well... From nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell But since when y'all n***as know me to fail? f** naw Where all my n***as 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 50/50, 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 n***a Biggie, baby! You know it's hell when I come through The life and times of Shawn Carter, n***a, Volume 2 Y'all n***as get ready! [Hook] 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 'dro'ed out; all my n***as Locked down in the 10 by four, controlling 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'mma be on top whether I perform or not I went from lukewarm to hot Sleeping on futons and cots to King Size Green machines, to green 5's I've seen pies, let the thing between my eyes an*lyze 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 sh**, I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improvin' I'm tryna murder everything movin', feel me?! [Hook] 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 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 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 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, etched your name out Put Jigga on top, and drop albums non-stop for ya, n***a! [Hook] 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!