Z-hard Knock Life
Jay Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Check the bassline out, uh-huh
Jigga (bounce wit it), uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh, yeahh
Let it bump though

It's the hard knock life (uh-huh) for us
It's the hard knock life, for us!
'Steada treated, we get tricked
'Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!

From standin' on the corners boppin'
To drivin' some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen
For droppin' some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
From the dope spot, with the smoke Glock
Fleein' the murder scene, you know me well
From nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell
But since when y'all niggaz know me to fail? Fuck naw
Where all my niggaz with the rubber grips, bust shots
And if you with me mom I rub on your tits, 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 fifty/fifty, 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 my nigga Biggie, baby!
You know it's hell when I come through
The life and times of Shawn Carter
Nigga Volume 2, y'all niggaz get ready

It's the hard knock life, for us
It's the hard knock life, for us!
'Steada treated, we get tricked
'Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!

I flow for those 'dro'ed out, all my niggaz
Locked down in the ten by fo', controllin' the house
We live in hard knocks, we don't take over we borrow blocks
Burn em down and you can have it back daddy, I'd rather that
I flow for chicks wishin', they ain't have to strip to pay tuition
I see you vision mama, I put my money on the long shots
All my ballers that's born to clock
Now I'ma be on top whether I perform or not
I went from lukewarm to hot, sleepin' on futons and cots
To king size, green machines, the green fives
I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills
Then I put it down type braile
I'm tight grill with the phony, rappers y'all might feel we homies
I'm like still, y'all don't know me, shit!
I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improving
I'm tryin to murder everything movin', feel me?!

It's the hard knock life, for us
It's the hard knock life, for us!
'Steada treated, we get tricked
'Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life, for us
It's the hard knock life, for us!
'Steada treated, we get tricked
'Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!

I don't how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes
Gotta a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes
Hustling's still inside of me, and as far as progress
You'd be hard-pressed, to find another rapper hot as me
I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and y'all lamed out
Didn't really appreciate it, til the second one came out
So I stretched the game out, X'ed your name out
Put Jigga on top, and drop albums non-stop for ya, nigguh!

It's the hard knock life, for us
It's the hard knock life, for us!
'Steada treated, we get tricked
'Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life, for us
It's the hard knock life, for us!
'Steada treated, we get tricked
'Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!




It's the hard knock life!
It's the hard knock life!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to JAY Z's song Hard Knock Life describe the difficulties and struggles faced by those living in poverty or disadvantaged environments. The opening lines urge the audience to pay attention to the bassline and let it bump. This is a reference to the energy and force behind the music and how it can inspire people to persevere through tough times. The chorus repeats the phrase "It's the hard knock life" four times and emphasizes how those living in tough conditions are often mistreated instead of receiving the care they deserve.


The following verses delve into the rapper's personal journey from standing on street corners to fame and fortune. He also references his experiences with crime, including fleeing a murder scene, and his time in jail. Still, he maintains his confidence and belief in himself, calling out to his fellow "niggaz" to stick together and take what is rightfully theirs. He raps about his struggles to stay on top and maintain his position of power in the industry. Ultimately, the message of the song is that life can be hard, but with perseverance and determination, one can rise above it all.


Line by Line Meaning

Check the bassline out, uh-huh
Listen to the rhythm of the music, pay attention


It's the hard knock life (uh-huh) for us
Life is difficult for us


It's the hard knock life, for us!
Life is tough for us


'Steada treated, we get tricked
Instead of being treated fairly, we are deceived


'Steada kisses, we get kicked
Instead of receiving affection, we are abandoned


From standin' on the corners boppin'
From hanging out on street corners, having fun


To drivin' some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen
Now driving some of the best cars in New York City


For droppin' some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
For producing some of the best rap lyrics ever


From the dope spot, with the smoke Glock
From a place where drugs are sold, with a gun


Fleein' the murder scene, you know me well
Running away from a crime scene, you know who I am


From nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell
From being in prison and feeling isolated, my worst nightmare


But since when y'all niggaz know me to fail? Fuck naw
But since when have you known me to fail? Definitely not


Where all my niggaz with the rubber grips, bust shots
Where are my friends with guns, firing shots


And if you with me mom I rub on your tits, and what-not
And if you're with me, I'll touch your breasts and do other things


I'm from the school of the hard knocks, we must not
I've learned from tough experiences, we should not forget that


Let outsiders violate our blocks, and my plot
We cannot allow people from outside our neighborhood to take over our area


Let's stick up the world and split it fifty/fifty, uh-huh
Let's rob the world and divide it equally between us


Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy, uh-huh
Let's take the money and look good while doing it


And sip the Cris' and get pissy-pissy
And drink Cristal champagne until we're drunk


Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga Biggie, baby!
My rap will keep going forever, like the legacy of my friend Biggie


You know it's hell when I come through
You'll know when I arrive, it'll be chaotic


The life and times of Shawn Carter
This is the story of my life, Shawn Carter is my real name


Nigga Volume 2, y'all niggaz get ready
My second album is coming, get ready for it


I flow for those 'dro'ed out, all my niggaz
I rap for those who are addicted to drugs, all my friends


Locked down in the ten by fo', controllin' the house
Locked up in cell 10-4, running the prison block


We live in hard knocks, we don't take over we borrow blocks
We come from tough backgrounds, we don't take over neighborhoods, we share them


Burn em down and you can have it back daddy, I'd rather that
Destroy the block and you can have it back, I'd prefer that


I flow for chicks wishin', they ain't have to strip to pay tuition
I rap for women who want to pay for college without working as a stripper


I see you vision mama, I put my money on the long shots
I see your dreams, I'll invest in them even if they are unlikely to succeed


All my ballers that's born to clock
My friends who were made to play basketball


Now I'ma be on top whether I perform or not
I'll be successful regardless of whether I'm actively rapping


I went from lukewarm to hot, sleepin' on futons and cots
I went from being unknown to popular, from sleeping on cheap furniture to expensive beds


To king size, green machines, the green fives
To luxurious, expensive cars and shoes


I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills
I've seen money come and go, and have thought deeply about life's issues


Then I put it down type braile
Then I wrote it down in a way that can be felt universally


I'm tight grill with the phony, rappers y'all might feel we homies
I'm skeptical of fake people, some rappers pretend to be friends


I'm like still, y'all don't know me, shit!
I'm still the same person, you all don't really know me


I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improving
I'm angry when my situation doesn't improve


I'm tryin to murder everything movin', feel me?!
I'm aggressively pursuing success, understand me?


I don't how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes
I don't know how to relax, I always have to work and be prepared


Gotta a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes
I have many enemies, so it makes sense to attack them


Hustling's still inside of me, and as far as progress
I still have the drive to hustle and succeed


You'd be hard-pressed, to find another rapper hot as me
It would be very difficult to find another rapper as talented as me


I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and y'all lamed out
I predicted my own success on my first album, but people didn't believe me


Didn't really appreciate it, til the second one came out
People didn't fully appreciate my talent until my second album was released


So I stretched the game out, X'ed your name out
I dominated the music industry, removed my competition


Put Jigga on top, and drop albums non-stop for ya, nigguh!
Made myself the best, and continued to release albums regularly


It's the hard knock life, for us
Life is tough for us


It's the hard knock life, for us!
Life is difficult for us


'Steada treated, we get tricked
Instead of being treated fairly, we are deceived


'Steada kisses, we get kicked
Instead of receiving affection, we are abandoned


It's the hard knock life, for us
Life is tough for us


It's the hard knock life, for us!
Life is difficult for us


'Steada treated, we get tricked
Instead of being treated fairly, we are deceived


'Steada kisses, we get kicked
Instead of receiving affection, we are abandoned


It's the hard knock life!
Life is tough!


It's the hard knock life!
Life is difficult!


It's the hard knock life!
Life is tough!




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Strouse, Mark James, Martin Charnin, Sean Carter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@JayzoTheNextKobeBryant2.0

Who All Still Listening To This Song In 2024 ?

@AbdullahTsd42k

Thats a BANGER !!!!!!

@harrisc1934

The Annie hook is still one of the most genius samples in hip hop history

@keshacole5018

Definitely

@cinematicseth

Rappers sure love ruining songs.

@torianmcneill3794

@@cinematicsethhater

@jezreelcarr5892

​@@cinematicsethyo moma

@desertezz

For sure this is one of the hardest beats in hip hop history.

26 More Replies...

@user-yl5ws8gk6z

To future generations, don't let this song die out

@UndefeatedDeity

Thing is, it won’t because it’s relatable through every generation.

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