Intro
Jay-Z · Other Songs - Jay-Z
It's the Dynasty niggaz as promised
The world's most infamous Roc-A-Fella Records
This is Roc La Familia
It's Young Hova, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Amil-lion
It's the Dynasty niggaz, 2000 to infinity
This is ghetto to ghetto, gutter to gutter
Street corner to street corner, project to project
Worldwide, walk with us niggaz
Hoffa, Dash, it's the Dynasty niggaz
Check it out
Uhh, walk with me, talk to me, yo
The theme song to the Sopranos
Plays in the key of life on my mental piano
Got a strange way of seein' life like
I'm Stevie Wonder with, beads under the doo-rag
Intuition is there even when my vision's impaired, yeah
Knowin' I can go, just switchin' a spare
On the highway of life, nigga, it's sharp in my sight
Oh, keen senses ever since I was a teen on the benches
Everytime somebody like Enus was mentioned
I would turn green, me, bein' in the trenches
Him, livin' adventureous, not worryin' about expenditures
I'm bravin' temperatures below zero, no hero
No father figure, you gotta pardon a nigga
But I'm starvin' my niggaz, and the weight loss in my figure
Is startin' to darken my heart, 'bout to get to my liver
Watch it my niggaz, I'm tryin' to be calm but I'm gon' get richer
Through any means, with that thing that Malcolm palmed in the picture
Never read the Qu'ran or Islamic scriptures
Only psalms I read was on the arms of my niggaz
Tattooed so I carry on like I'm non-religious
Clap whoever stand between Shawn and figures
Niggaz, say it's the dawn but I'm superstitious
Shit is as dark as it's been, nothin' is goin' as you predicted
I move with biscuits, stop the harder niggaz, actin' too suspicious
This is food for thought, you do the dishes
The world's most infamous Roc-A-Fella Records
This is Roc La Familia
It's Young Hova, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Amil-lion
It's the Dynasty niggaz, 2000 to infinity
This is ghetto to ghetto, gutter to gutter
Street corner to street corner, project to project
Worldwide, walk with us niggaz
Hoffa, Dash, it's the Dynasty niggaz
Check it out
Uhh, walk with me, talk to me, yo
The theme song to the Sopranos
Plays in the key of life on my mental piano
Got a strange way of seein' life like
I'm Stevie Wonder with, beads under the doo-rag
Intuition is there even when my vision's impaired, yeah
Knowin' I can go, just switchin' a spare
On the highway of life, nigga, it's sharp in my sight
Oh, keen senses ever since I was a teen on the benches
Everytime somebody like Enus was mentioned
I would turn green, me, bein' in the trenches
Him, livin' adventureous, not worryin' about expenditures
I'm bravin' temperatures below zero, no hero
No father figure, you gotta pardon a nigga
But I'm starvin' my niggaz, and the weight loss in my figure
Is startin' to darken my heart, 'bout to get to my liver
Watch it my niggaz, I'm tryin' to be calm but I'm gon' get richer
Through any means, with that thing that Malcolm palmed in the picture
Never read the Qu'ran or Islamic scriptures
Only psalms I read was on the arms of my niggaz
Tattooed so I carry on like I'm non-religious
Clap whoever stand between Shawn and figures
Niggaz, say it's the dawn but I'm superstitious
Shit is as dark as it's been, nothin' is goin' as you predicted
I move with biscuits, stop the harder niggaz, actin' too suspicious
This is food for thought, you do the dishes
Intro - Jay-Z
This track serves as the opening movement for Jay-Z's seminal 1998 album, The Blueprint, establishing a tone of introspective grit and lyrical precision that defines the project. As a cornerstone of the hip-hop genre, the recording showcases the artist's signature ability to weave complex narratives within a tight framework, setting the stage for the album's exploration of ambition, struggle, and success. The song reflects the broader cultural moment of late 90s East Coast rap, where technical proficiency and conceptual depth were paramount. It stands as a testament to Jay-Z's evolution as a songwriter, demonstrating how a brief introduction can encapsulate the thematic weight of a larger body of work.