JAY-Z

Released: December 18, 2001

Featuring: Jaguar Wright

Songwriter: Charles Strouse Martin Charnin JAY-Z James H. Billington

Producer: ?uestlove The Roots DJ Mark The 45 King

[Intro]
Bounce
Left and right
Left and right
Come on
Uh
Uh
Che
Uhuh
Yeah keep it best man
Nah nah you don't sing yet man
Sing now!

[Hook: Jaguar Wright (Jay Z)]
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!
(I love you)

[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 know me to fail? Nuh uh
Where all my brother with the rubber grips, bust shots
And if you with me mama rub on your hips, and what-not
I'm from the school of the hard knocks, we 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 the homie Biggie, baby!
You know it's hell when I come through
The life and times of Shawn Carter, y'all Volume 2, y'all niggas get ready
Sing!

[Hook: Jaguar Wright (Jay Z)]
It's the hard knock life for us
It's the hard knock life for us!
(I can't hear y'all)
Instead of treated, we get tricked
Instead of kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!

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

MTV Unplugged

From the album

MTV Unplugged (2001)

JAY-Z popular songs

Hard Knock Life (MTV Unplugged)JAY-Z

JAY-Z

MTV Unplugged