Released: September 29, 1998

Songwriter: Stevie J JAY-Z

Producer: Stevie J

[Intro: Stevie J]
I'm rolling with Roc-A-Fella, man
'Cause they got money, man, haha

[Break: Jay-Z]
Uh-huh, uh-huh uh UH, uh-huh, Hova
Yeah, Stevie J, nigga
Y'all ready? Yo, yo

[Chorus: Jay-Z]
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Ayo fuck y'all, niggas I crush y'all, rush y'all
With the four drawn and I touch y'all, plus y'all
Little motherfuckers ain't ready for war
I seen your team in a crisis before, thought I forgot?
The same rules apply, don't try to switch up your style
Y'all niggas is pumpkin pie, and that's plain as I
Much better than you cat, shocked when I got the news that
This nigga ready for war, well where that fool at?
I bruise wack rap niggas severely punish them
Especially those that get fucked for they publishing, heh
Always gotta be the weakest nigga out the crew
I probably make more money off yo' album, than you
You see the respect I get every time I come through
Check your own videos, you'll always be number two
Niggas talking real greasy on them R&B records
Well I'm Platinum a million times nigga, check the credits
S. Carter, ghostwriter, and for the right price
I can even make YO' shit tighter
I roast niggas like ya, smoke niggas like ya
Take your little jewels and put the toast to niggas like ya
You know what the fuck we do and why we done it
How I bring it to niggas who, probably want it
Keep playing, you gone find me in your lobby blunted
And I don't even smoke nigga, ain't no joke
Niggas cat fighting with Jigga, kicking sneaky shit
Making little tapes but keeping it secret
'Cause I kick that deep shit that divide your peeps shit
Now I don't know if you fucking with Jigga
Spitting that weak shit, dog

[Chorus: Jay-Z]
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
Yeah, yeah
Niggas don't want it with Jig, 'cause something’s got to give
I got homes where you hide, I hustle where you live
Jigga's the Don, bitches scream "Jigga damn the
Dick is the bomb, about as thick as an arm"
Mr. Exxon, gas 'em with the wit and the charm
Bitch, I'm trying to tell you like Nicholas Barnes
I'm a big cat, listen mami, can you dig that?
Cars, jewelry, homes, I did that
O's, shootouts, keys, I live that
Actresses, models, chicken heads, hit that
I get stacks and still I kick back
And run up on niggas with the m-id-ac, where the shit at?

[Chorus: Jay-Z]
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
Time to separate
The platinum from the white gold, right from the door
The real from the fake, ready rock from the raw
The boss from the runners, cats who ride dick
From the cats with the numbers, the five from the six
I got cop ‘n crash money, pop the dash money
Press the button, all of sudden, Glock in the stash money
Beef with Jigga, watch yo' ass money
It's El Presidente, top brass money
Now I don't flash the steel, I blast for real
My motto: you only good as the last nigga you kill
I'm here to snatch this mil, nigga that's for real
If you rolling with me grab the wheel, let's ride huh?

[Chorus: Jay-Z]
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die
How many y'all wanna ride tonight (ride tonight)
How many y'all down to die tonight (die tonight)
How many y'all wanna ride tonight
Nigga ride or die or ride or die

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.