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This Life ForeverJAY-Z

Released: July 13, 1999

Songwriter: Ty Fyffe JAY-Z

Producer: Ty Fyffe

[Intro]
Blackhand Enertainment
Roc-A-Fella Records
In association with the streets
The Black Gangster
In conjunction with everything official
Yeah

[Verse 1]
I ride through the ghetto windows down halfway
Halfway out of my mind music on 9, blasting Donny Hathaway
Me and my niggas spending half the day
Plotting, how we gon' get this math today without getting blast away
I wake up to the same problems after today
Life is harsh, nigga got a right to spark
Right from the start, they place me in the ghetto, tender age of nine
My tender mind had to surrender to crime
Wouldn't wish this on nobody life to end up like mine
Ever since I was quite young a nigga been in a bind
Had to scratch for every plaque, even rap ain't even all it's cracked up to be
Niggas don't stack up to me
Had to hustle in a world of trouble
Trapped in, claustrophobic, the only way out was rapping
America don't understand it, the demographics I tapped in
I'm the truest nigga to do this, nigga, and anything else is foolish
Like those who stay high, under God's grey skies
My lyrics is like Bible, made to save lives
In the midst of all your misery nigga, stay fly
Never let em see you frown, even smile when you down
Shit, I floss on my off-days, fuck what they all say
Niggas can't stop me with rumors, I'm too strong
All day, socks explode and sweatpants pockets is bulging
Holdin' it down on the corner with my block frozen
My spot is rolling, drop the price on the coke and
Drove the competition out and let the dough flow in
The cops is closing in, I can do the time
But what's really on my mind, there ain't no hoes in the pen
I play the low and try and make it hard to find me
Feds still tryna build a case since '93
I told them I'm retired, but they like whatever
You know them pigs don't wanna see you get your life together

[Chorus]
I'm stuck in this life forever
The more things change the more they stay the same
Who am I to change the game?
You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine
The block's hotter than its ever been
(Once again)

[Verse 2]
Hold the gun at eye level, I ain't afraid of conflict
I let the nine rip, nigga say "hi" to the devil
I blind with the bezel, I'm in line with the ghetto
What y'all niggas afraid of, my mind or the metal?
Niggas tryna subtract my life, my mathematics is precise
I carry the 9, so fucking with me just ain't the answer
I just can't lose when I was young I was like Fresh
Poppa raised me to chess moves
And though you're gone, I'm not bitter, you left me prepared
We got divided by the years, but I got it from here
Don't sweat that, sounds bump from Marcy to LeFrak
To that project in DC where my man caught his death at
Over my years I've seen Rooks get tooken by the Knight
Lose they Crown by tryna defend a Queen
Checkmate in 4 moves, the Bobby Fischer of rap with raw moves
In a time where we all move
Let's face it: either you're dough chasing or basing
Lacing, crack's got you feelin' strong like Mason
Careful, any infiltration, I'm leaving niggas
Leaking more than just information

[Chorus]
I'm stuck in this life forever
The more things change the more they stay the same
Who am I to change the game?
You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine
The block's hotter than its ever been
I'm stuck in this life forever
The more things change the more they stay the same
Who am I to change the game?
You gotta move quick like heroin and cocaine
The block's hotter than its ever been

[Outro]
Uh, real shit, huh
The Black Gangsta
Blackhand Entertainment
Roc-A-Fella
They'll never interrupt this thing of ours
Uhh, The Black Gangsta
Jigga, Hova
Roll with me now

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.

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