The Life Of A...
N.O.R.E. Lyrics

They'll be a man
There will always be a person who leads and inspires others.

One to lead his people into victory
This person has the ability to lead a group to success.

One who goes through time
This person has experienced the passage of time.

One who seen pain
This person has experienced hardship and suffering.

The one who see's the glory
This person appreciates and recognizes the good things in life.

That man is I, Capone
The singer is Capone, a leader who has experienced both pain and glory.

The leader, follow me
Capone is inviting others to follow his lead.

They wanna beat me like Rodney
People want to bring Capone down like they did Rodney King.

See me like Pac
People see Capone like they saw Tupac Shakur.

Have me like O. J. Doing 100 in the drop
People want to see Capone get into trouble like O.J. Simpson.

Railroad me like the Hurricane but I won't stop, let's go
People want to falsely accuse Capone like they did Rubin Carter, but he won't let it stop him.

Look at my life (look at my life)
Capone wants people to take a closer look at his life.

Look at my life, I'ma gangsta (gangsta, gangsta, gangsta)
Despite his flaws, Capone identifies as a gangster.

Take a journey through my life
Capone wants people to experience his life story with him.

Walk through the nights with me
Capone wants people to be with him during the difficult times.

It's a long road ahead of us, I hope that your nights crispy
Capone acknowledges that the road will be difficult, but he hopes people will have clarity in their decisions.

Queensbridge, a trife city delapidated slums
Capone grew up in a harsh environment in Queensbridge, with poverty and crime surrounding him.

I've seen political homicides and crack related ones
Capone has witnessed murders related to politics and drug abuse.

Pac and Bigggie, god bless em I don't know where to begin
Capone acknowledges the impact of Tupac and Biggie on his life, but he doesn't know where to start.

Forgive me lord for I've committed a sin
Capone asks for forgiveness for his past mistakes.

I sold crack to my mans mom
Capone participated in selling drugs to someone he knew.

I feed my uncle dope in his arm
Capone provided his uncle with drugs.

I testify to every word wrote in this song
Capone stands by the words in his song.

Except the 5th commandment, thou shall not kill
Capone admits to breaking the commandment not to kill.

I obviously ignored it cause my blood shall not spill
Despite breaking the commandment not to kill, Capone feels justified in protecting himself.

So I chose to squeeze first
Capone decided to shoot first in self-defense.

Put you 6 feet deep in the dirt
Capone believes in using violence to defend himself.

And watch your cold soul emerge from the earth
Capone revels in the violent aftermath of his actions.

I was a star first, then I grew into the sun
Capone started as a small-time criminal, but grew to become a powerful figure in his community.

Destined to shine over the planet
Capone believes he has a predetermined destiny to be successful.

Till I came across a gun, infactutated by the sound
Capone became obsessed with guns and violence.

When the shots get sprayed, like (gunshots)
Capone enjoys the sound of gunfire.

I'm about to take the streets through another phase
Capone plans to continue his life of violence on the streets.

I'm amazed I'm still living
Capone is surprised that he hasn't been killed yet.

I came close to the end of my days
Capone has nearly died multiple times.

I couldn't let the streets raise my two siblings
Capone had to step up and take care of his siblings because he didn't want them to end up on the streets.

Or my kid, I'm too thoro, I survived through prison
Capone wants to make sure his child doesn't suffer like he did, and he's survived prison before.

Collide with rival clicks spitting, listen
Capone has had conflicts with rival groups and has been involved in violent altercations.

I live life like I'm racing to an early death
Capone lives recklessly like he knows he won't live for long.

Exceeding the speed limit, with no brakes
Capone keeps moving forward with no regard for his own safety.

Quiet when I step, reality bites
Capone knows that the reality of his situation is harsh.

I'm gangsta for life, so I squeeze like
Capone identifies as a gangster and will always defend himself with violence.

I hold the mac precise
Capone is skilled with a gun.

With 32 shot clips
Capone has a large number of bullets on him.

And turn your hard top into a convertible drop whip
Capone can use his gun to shoot out the roof of a car.

They talking to rappers, chose my name to reflect
People in the rap community are talking about Capone.

I'm hot, grimy entertainers come
Capone is popular and influential in the rap industry.

Drama east to west
Capone's influence extends across the country.

I don't wanna kill no more
Capone is tired of violence and wants to change his ways.

At times I hear death knocking at my front door
Capone feels like he could die at any moment.

Feeling like I'm being watched everytime that I score
Capone is paranoid and feels like he's being monitored by law enforcement.

What if the pigs got me on survaillance
Capone is worried that he's being watched by the police.

A rebel to the law, I got 2 strikes against me
Capone is a repeat offender with a criminal record.

1 shot in me, a vest and a semi
Capone is carrying a gun and wearing a bulletproof vest for protection.

It's me against the world don't tempt me
Capone is ready to fight against the world if necessary.

Ah yo lets all bust from jail, a mink
Capone fantasizes about breaking out of jail and wearing a fur coat as a symbol of his success.

A pound of the real, a 37 inch link
Capone wants to enjoy his wealth with fancy jewelry and expensive drugs.

Money in the bank, a Coup to match it
Capone has money saved up and a nice car to show off his wealth.

I was released like a boss mis-acting
Capone was released from jail in a show of power and prestige.

You know the kind of thing a gangsta could relax in
Capone enjoys the luxuries of his lifestyle as a gangster.

Lifes a bitch, but fuck it
Capone acknowledges that life is hard, but he's going to enjoy it anyway.

Trying to keep my whole faculty covered
Capone is trying to protect himself and his loved ones from harm.

And spits more like an iraqian thugging
Capone is aggressive like a military warrior.

If you wanna take me, mommy I'm coming
Capone is ready to fight if someone wants to bring him down.

But if not, they can never break
Capone is determined and unbreakable.

I'ma keep gunning and bust shots
Capone will continue his violent lifestyle and use guns to defend himself.

I'm the one that was running from the cops
Capone has been on the run from the police before.

I bust back at them niggas
Capone fought back against the police with violence.

It's real man I came from the bottom - strivin'
Capone came from a difficult background and is still trying to make it in life.

Label to label, with the Yankees now (look at my life)
Capone is successful in his music career and has signed with a major label like the New York Yankees.

I'm with big bosses (look at my life I'm a gangsta)
Capone is in a position of power and is respected by other powerful people.

The life, it's the loud, the mourns, the kings
The life of a gangster is full of noise, sadness, and authority figures.

We movin up now (look at my life)
Capone is moving up in the world and gaining more success.

Big gangsta moves (look at my life)
Capone's success is due to his violent lifestyle as a gangster.

Taking care of bussiness
Capone is focused on taking care of his own affairs.

My niggas up north - Got you
Capone has friends in prison who can help him out.

Streets - I'm A gangsta (I'm a gangsta)
Capone embraces his role as a gangster on the streets.