December 4th
McScottD and JAY Z Lyrics

Shawn Carter was born December 4th
Jay Z's birthdate

Weighing in at 10 pounds 8 ounces
Jay Z was born a big baby

He was the last of my four children
Jay Z was the youngest of his siblings

The only one who didn't give me any pain when I gave birth to him
Jay Z's birth was a smooth process for his mother

And that's how I knew that he was a special child
Jay Z's mother realized he was a special child due to his smooth birth process

They say "they never really miss you til you dead or you gone"
People only truly appreciate someone after they have passed away

So on that note I'm leaving after this song
Jay Z is retiring after the release of this song

So you ain't gotta feel no way about Jay, so long
Jay Z is reassuring his fans that they don't need to miss him too much

At least let me tell you why I'm this way, hold on
Jay Z wants to explain his life story before he retires

I was conceived by Gloria Carter and Adaness Revees
Jay Z's parents are Gloria Carter and Adaness Revees

Who made love under the Sycamore tree
Jay Z's parents had sex under a tree

Which makes me A more sicker emcee than my momma would claim
Jay Z thinks his parents having sex under a tree is a unique and cool origin story for his life

Although through the years I gave her her fair share I gave her her first real scare I made it from birth and I got here
Jay Z caused his mother some worry, but he made it to where he is today

She knows my purpose wasn't purpose I ain't perfect I care But I feel worthless cause my shirts wasn't matching my gear
Jay Z's mother knows he has a greater purpose but he sometimes struggles with feeling worthless due to his clothes not matching

Now I'm just scratching the surface cause what's buried under there Was a kid torn apart once his pop disappeared
Jay Z has a painful past due to his father abandoning him

I went to school got good grades could behave when I wanted But I had demons deep inside that would raise when confronted
Jay Z was a good student but still struggled with internal issues

Shawn was a very shy child growing up He was into sports And a funny story is At four he taught his self how to ride a bike A two wheeler at that Isn't that special?
Jay Z was a shy child but was also into sports and taught himself how to ride a bike at a young age

But, I noticed a change in him when me and my husband broke up
Jay Z's parents' divorce had an impact on him

Now all the teachers couldn't reach me And my momma couldn't beat me Hard enough to match the pain of my pop not seeing me, so With that disdain in my membrane Got on my pimp game
After his father's abandonment, Jay Z grew bitter and turned to a life of hustling

Fuck the world my defense came Then Dahaven introduced me to the game Spanish Jose introduced me to cane I'm a hustler now
Jay Z turned to a life of drug dealing to cope with his father's abandonment

My gear is in and I'm in the in crowd And all the wavy light skinned girls is loving me now My self esteem went through the roof man I got my swag Got a vocal from this girl when her man got bagged
Jay Z's success in drug dealing made him popular and gave him confidence while also attracting women

Plus I hit my momma with cash from a show that I had Supposedly knowing nobody paid Jaz wack ass
Jay Z gave his mother money from a show he performed at after criticizing his mentor Jaz-O's lack of payment for the performance

I'm getting ahead of myself, by the way, I could rap That came second to me moving this crack
Jay Z was primarily focused on his drug dealing operations, but also knew he had a talent for rapping

Gimme a second I swear I will say about my rap career Til '96 came niggas I'm here
Jay Z eventually focused more on his rap career and became successful in the industry

Good-bye to the game all the spoils, the adrenaline rush Your blood boils you in a spot knowing cops could rush And you in a drop your so easy to touch
Jay Z is retiring from his drug dealing and music careers and discussing the dangers and risks involved in his former lifestyle

No two days are alike Except the first and fifteenth pretty much And "trust" is a word you seldom hear from us
Jay Z is reflecting on the monotony of his drug dealing days and the lack of trust in that world

Hustlers we don't sleep we rest one eye up And a drought can define a man, when the well dries up You learn to work the water without working, of thirst you'll die yup
Jay Z is speaking on the survival skills required in the world of drug dealing

And niggas get tied up for product And little brothers ring fingers get cut up To show mothers they really got 'em And this was the stress I live with til I decided To try this rap shit for a living
Jay Z is discussing the violence and brutality involved in drug dealing and how it affected him and his family

I pray I'm forgiven For every bad decision I made Every sister I played Cause I'm still paranoid to this day And it's nobody fault I made the decisions I made This is the life I chose or rather the life that chose me
Jay Z is seeking forgiveness for his past actions and discussing how his life experiences have shaped him

If you can't respect that your whole perspective is wack Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black
Jay Z is requesting that people respect his decisions and experiences, and suggesting that they may appreciate him more when he is gone