JAY-Z

Released: April 8, 2003

Songwriter: JAY-Z Swizz Beatz

Producer: Swizz Beatz

[Intro: Swizz Beatz]
Swizzy... Beatz...

[Chorus]
Ayo I cannot (STOP), I will not (STOP)
AS.. WE.. PROCEED..

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Young Hov got the block on smash
Put the gun to the back and hop on some ass
Nigga fresh-dressed and stay poppin' tags
Put the Ewings on the truck 'for I drop the rag
Bitches want to bring up the topic of my past
It's legendary in the hood how I got my cash
I'm legendary in the hood so I got the mag
And I've never been a fronter so I've got to blast
Will I flash... not...
As I'm not playing with you motherfuckers the laughter stops
When your casket drops
You bastards not gon' assassinate the name I got
Ya'll don't hear me though
Young Hov got the block on smash
And everybody and their momma want to stop my cash
Everybody want drama with the top of the brass
'Til I come through hop out the cap
1-8-7 they ass

[Bridge]
(STOP) somebody gon' (DROP)
Y'all don't hear me though...

[Chorus]
I cannot (STOP), I will not (STOP)
AS.. WE.. PROCEED..

[Verse 2]
Young Hov got the game in a frenzy
Twenty million sold all independently
So when you mention me
Make sure you got together your similes
Like he's the game's J.F. Kennedy
Uhh, I started out I ain't have no chimney
My ma was Santa Claus, well at least she pretended to be
'Til one night, well that's if memory serves me correct I caught her under the Christmas tree
Young Hov ain't have no pops
Thank God man I had the block
Ya'll don't hear me though
You young fucks got the game all wrong
This is my life man this ain't no song
You ain't livin' your rhymes out, you live at your mom's house
In that tight-ass room, pullin' that [?] out
And the mirror pointin' at your reflection, killing yourself
You American Pie, stop feeling yourself
Nigga, you just a worker, go deal yourself
Stop being a server, get a meal yourself
Where your heart at, all that yick-yack, ain't nobody scared of y'all gats
We got bigger ones
I mean niggas done shot at me shivering
They were so scared they ain't hit me once
Young Hov 'bout to go to the range
'Bout to work on perfecting my aim
Y'all don’t hear me though

[Chorus]
I cannot……
I cannot……
I will not……
As we proceed

Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, and holding the solo artist record of 14 Billboard 200 #1 albums, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter is possibly the most talented, accomplished and respected rapper of all-time. He has released 13 studio albums and five collaborative albums over his 30-year career.

Three of his albums, Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album, are considered landmarks in the genre, with all of them featured in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Hov has won 21 Grammy Awards from sixty-four nominations, making him the 10th most awarded artist of all-time.

Legendary for never writing down his lyrics, JAY-Z’s flow is considered one of the greatest to grace the genre, his wordplay and metaphorical ability is unmatched, and his live shows push the envelope of what it means to be a hip hop artist. His MTV Unplugged appearance introduced the idea of having a full band (The Roots) backing up a hip hop artist at major concerts, and during his 2004 documentary Fade to Black he doubled down, selling out Madison Square Garden (in mere minutes) while featuring an enormous live band performance.

more tracks from the album

Blueprint 2.1

From the albums

Blueprint 2.1 (2003)
The S. Carter Collection (2003)

JAY-Z popular songs

Stop 2.1JAY-Z

JAY-Z

Blueprint 2.1