Built Pyramids
N.O.R.E. Lyrics

Large Pro, It's my first Large Pro beat
The rapper is thrilled to have a beat from legendary producer Large Pro.

You a genius nigga, I'm honored, And with them gray's in your beard, You lookin' more like a genius
The rapper compliments Large Pro's skills and appearance and expresses his honor to work with him.

Flushing Meadow Park, drive my heights 8 store, We playing baseball, then we slangin 8 balls, Mission impossible, alley cattie shot, niggas got shot too, Locked at the hospital
The rapper reminisces about his past where he partook in both innocent activities like baseball and illicit activities like drug dealing, which resulted in violence and trips to the hospital.

Jamaican Ave., chicken patty with the cocoa bread, I know Jamaicans on drugs, call em cocoa heads, Tits lookin at the front door, always want more, So I got drugs pump and more
The rapper references Jamaican culture and its association with drug use, and how he himself got involved in drug dealing to satisfy customers' insatiable cravings.

This is my belief, my philosophy, geography, Ecology, biology, psychology, I used to spit Gillette razors, hand in hand with my Pakistan man, We made vapors, Fish scales from Jackson Heights Columbians, I.S. 61, was raised for no republicans
The rapper reflects on his personal beliefs and how his background has influenced his worldview. He also references his involvement in the drug trade and working with people from different cultural backgrounds.

And I don't mean to get all political, But Mitt Romney don't plan to do shit for you
The rapper takes a jab at Mitt Romney and politicians in general, suggesting they don't have the interests of everyday people in mind.

Yo, see I'm a student of a game how I pay attention, You so poor that you can't afford to pay attention, Catch me downtown by L.E.S., Or up in Flatbush, Fort Green by dys, who you be with, My niggas I was locked up and swaffed with, Killers that kill killers marvelous, I know you never used a gun but got bodies, You can do the math, go and ask who you at, A1, since day 1, just ask
The rapper brags about his street smarts and ability to stay ahead of the game, while also referencing his past criminal activity and associates.

G-Shock watch, flooded with the black diamonds, Louboutin's with the spikes is for weirdos, I'm hood nigga, I don't wear those, Still a dapper dan, design still immaculate, Gucci ain't make that, nah, but it's they fabric, And still I get cabbage with it, punch style, Gold piece Lazareth
The rapper discusses his fashion sense and preferences, highlighting his disinterest in high-end designer fashion but still enjoying the finer things in life like his gold jewelry.

Yo, you wanna fly in the city, you gotta go to Queens, Fly out of the city, you gotta come to Queens, My borough birthed John Gotti, Another killers, big drug dealers, wild ball players, Lamar Odom, World Peace Artest, Kenny Anderson, Kenny Smith, Lefrak the best, yea, Rafer Alston, Anthony Mason, Mark Jackson on a lay up line, They got action, Supreme court where I fought, but these ball playing niggas, Rep Queens on a court, Talik and Kimani could have made it, And Raheem manchild, the fuckin' hood's favorite, Orchestrated, sort of related, Black and Puerto Rican, like Los we stay faded cause, Yeah, on the real to the real, on the real to the real
The rapper reflects on his hometown of Queens and its contributions to various fields such as organized crime, drug dealing, and basketball. He also references specific individuals who he believes could have been successful in basketball, but were held back by their circumstances.

What the theory is, some like to won at night, we the areas, Tell em what it really is, Built pyramids, ground up from the streets, It's that Q talk serious, What the theory is, some like to won at night, we the areas, Tell em what it really is, Built pyramids, ground up from the streets, It's that Q talk serious
The chorus emphasizes the idea that people underestimate Queens and its inhabitants, but they are strong and resilient, represented by the metaphor of pyramids built from the ground up.