[Notorious B.I.G.]
I'm just, trying to stay above water why'know
Just stay busy, stay working
Puff told me like, the key to this joint
The key to staying, on top of things
Is treat everything like it's your first project, know what I'm saying?
Like it's your first day like back when you was an intern
Like, that's how you try to treat things like, just stay hungry

[Jay-Z]
Yes, yes
Y'all want to know, why he don't stop
Y'all want to know, why he don't flop
Let me tell you people why
Came from the bottom of the block I
When I was born, it was sworn, I was never gon' be shit
Had to pull the opposite out this bitch
Had to get my ride on
Eyes on the prize, Shawn knew I had to
Had to had to get these chips
Had to make moves like Olajuwon
Started out selling dimes and nicks
Graduated to a brick
No exaggeration, my infatuation with the strip
Legendary like a schoolboy
Crushing merely nearly every every chick
Heavy shit, that's how schoolboy got whipped
And got left on some "Just "Me, Myself and I"
On some Trugoy shit
Had your boys threw place up, to a place of no return
Had to play with fire and get burned
Only way the boy ever gon' learn
Had to lay way in the cut, 'til I finally got my turn
Now I'm on top in the spot that I earned

[Chorus]
It's my life, it's my pain and my struggle
The song that I sing to you it's my everything
Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first
And my thirst is the same as, when I came
It's my joy and my tears and the laughter it brings to me
It's my everything

[Jay-Z]
Like I never rode in a limo
Like I just dropped flows to a demo
Like it's ninety-two again and
And I got O's in the rental
Back in the Stu' again, no prob' living was a whole lot simpler
When you think back, you thought that
You would never make it this far, then you
Take advantage of the luck you handed
Or the talent, you been given
Ain't no, half stepping, ain't no, no slipping
Ain't no different from a block that's hidden
Gotta get it while the getting's good
Gotta strike while the iron's hot, 'fore you stop
Then you gotta bid it, good riddance
Goodbye, this is my second major breakup
My first was, with a pager
With a hooptie, a cookpot, and the GAME
This one's with the stool, with the stage, with the fortune
Maybe not the fortune, but certainly the FAME

[Chorus]

Treat my first like my last, and my last like my first
And my thirst like the first song I sang

[Jay-Z]
Woo! It's like the blues, we gon' ride out on this one
Ta-tah, be-hah
Yo Haha, 'member you was making them dashes
For them niggaa at radio and shit?
Clark Kent, that was good looking out nigga
Carlene, who ever thought we'd make it this far homey?
Sha, they can't stop us, know what I'm saying? Lenny S
Dame what up? Robbin the bank
Niggas thought we was crazy man, 'member
You had that fucked up ass handwriting
You was writing all the numbers that we was spending now
For the videos we was doin ourselves, what up?
Original Flavor, your accountant was crazy wrong and shit
But we we still put it together
Bigs, whats up? 'Member we went to St. Thomas and uh
But y'all my nizzle, your dog peed on homey leg and shit
At his crib, I think that was Rudy
And they was having a lil' trouble with the pool
You and Ta-tah was laughing
Emory was there, what up Emory? What up Ta?
Hip-Hop, what up man?
Hey, hey Hobb, you ain't, you ain't have no uh
You ain't have no motherfucking seat on your, on your bicycle
Now you uh, the head of black music
That's what I'm talking bout right there homey G, what up G?
Yes sir, everybody in the Roc
Hey Guru, I know you spoiled man
I be taking them shits in one take
You goin' have to punch niggaz shit, stick it, you gon' be tight
OG One, what up?
I'm a little upset that you wasn't involved in this whole process
But it's all good, whats up Dash?
My whole family, my nephew, cousin Angie, whats up? Te-Tee
(B, B, B, B) Mom, you made the album, how crazy is that?
Bob Allah, rest in peace
My pops, rest in peace (Sup A.J.?)
Biggie Smalls, rest in peace
Nigga, I'm bout to go golfing man
Hey, I might even have me a cappuccino, fuck it!
I'm going somewhere nice where no mosquitoes at nigga
Holla at me, it's your boy!

Writer : DE LA FUENTE, GERMAIN/CARTER, SHAWN C
Copyright : Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing