Released: December 18, 2001

Featuring: Mary J. Blige

Songwriter: JAY-Z Dr. Dre Mike Elizondo Camara Kambon Mary J. Blige Marcus Miller J. Foster

Producer: The Roots ?uestlove Knobody The Hitmen Dr. Dre

Can't Knock The Hustle

[Intro (Mary J. Blige)]
Ok
Alright
Hey
This song right there
Was off the first album I ever made
It's called Reasonable Doubt
Also was fortunate enough to be blessed by the presence of
The Queen of, just the Queen man
I wanna say R&B, I wanna say hip hop
Her name is Ms Mary J. Blige
Mary!
Let me get all the way up beside you girl
You ready?
(What I'm ready)
I'm making short term goals when the weather folds
I just had to test y'all

[Verse 1]
I'm making short term goals when the weather folds
Just put away the leathers and put ice on the gold
Chilly with enough bail money to free a big willie
High stakes, I got more at stake than Philly
Shopping sprees, cop in three
Deuce fever IS's fully loaded, ah, yes
Bouncing in the Lex Luger, tires smoke like Buddha
50 Gs to the crap shooter
Y'all can't fade me, chrome stocks beaming
Through my peripheral I see you scheming
Stop dreaming, I leave your body steaming
Player's is fiending, what's the meaning
I'm leaning on any player intervening with the sound of my money machining
My cup runneth over with hundreds
I'm one of the best player's that done it
Six digits and running, y'all dudes don't want it
I got the Godfather flow, the Don Juan DeMarco
Mary!

[Hook 1: Mary J. Blige (Jay Z)]
I'm taking out this time
To give you a piece of my mind
(Cause you can't knock the hustle)
Who do you think you are
(Jay Z baby)
Baby one day you'll be a star

[Verse 2: Jay Z]
Last seen out of state where I drop my sling
I'm deep in the South kicking up top game
Bouncing on the highway switching four lanes
Screaming through the sunroof, money ain't a thang
Your worst fear confirmed
Me and my fam roll tight like The Firm
Getting down for life, that's right, you better learn
While I play with fire, you burn
We get together like a choir, to acquire what we desire
We do dirt like worms, produce G's like sperm
Until legs spread like germs
I got extensive with expensive clothes
And I sip fine wines and spit vintage flows
What y'all don't know
Uh Uh Uh Uh
Cause you can't knock the hustle

[Hook 2: Mary J. Blige (Jay Z)]
But until then lately, I'm the one who's crazy?
(Talk to em Mary)
Cause that's the way you're making me feel
(They feel you, they feel you)
I'm just trying to live right
(Why wouldn't you)
I don't have the time
To knock the hustle for real

[Verse 3: Jay Z (Mary J Blige)]
Yo, lunching, punching the clock
My function is to make much and lay back munching
Sipping Remy on the rocks, my crew
Nothing to stop, un-stoppable
Scheme on the ice, I got to hot your crew
I got to, let you dudes know the time like Movado
My motto, stack rocks like Colorado
Waddle off the champagne, Cristals by the bottle
It's a damn shame what you're not though (me)
Slick like a gato, ya boy Jay-Z
My pops knew exactly what he did when he made me
Tried to get a nut and he got a nut and what
(Tried to get a nut and he got a nut and what)
Straight bananas; can a nigga see me
Got the US Open, advantage Jigga
Serve like Sampras, play fake rappers like a campus
Le Tigre, Pa you're too eager
You ain't having it
Oh good me either
Let's get together and make this whole world believe us huh
At my arraignment screaming
All us blacks got is sports and entertainment, until we even
Thieving, as long as I'm breathing
Can't knock the way a player eating
Alright

[Hook 1: Mary J. Blige (Jay Z)]
I'm taking out this time
(Let me buy you one)
To give you a piece of my mind
Who do you think you are
(That's right, Jay Z baby)
Baby one day you'll be a star
(Let's take em uptown, let's take em uptown)
But until then lately, I'm the one who's crazy?
(Let's go all the way uptown)
Cause that's the way you're making me feel
(We in Harlem now, let's go to the Bronx on em)
I'm just trying to get mine I don't have the time
To knock the hustle for real
(Let's go all the way up town, let's take em to Yonkers)

Family Affair [Mary J. Blige (Jay Z)]

People can we get it crunk tonight
(We in Yonkers now)
Yeah yeah yeah
Let's get it
Let's get it
Let's get it
Let's get it
Let's get it
Let's get it
(Talk to em Mary)
If you know the song, sing along
Let's get it crunk tonight
Let's get it crunk upon, have fun upon
Up in this dancery
We got ya open, now ya floatin'
So you gots to dance for me
(Talk to em)
Don't need no hateration, holleratin'
In this dancery
Let's get it percolatin', while you're waiting
So dance for me
Dance for Jay Z
(Come on let's go)
Come on everybody
Gotta thank Jigga for letting me get down tonight
(No no thank you)
Thank you very much
(You love that, ladies and gentlemen Ms Mary J Blige)
Thank you
(One more time for Ms Mary J Blige y'all
Ok, alright. We might be at 8, we close we close. Alright, I got you Mami, let's slow it down one time)

JAY-Z

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.