Can you hear me now? Good! (Blueprint 2 baby!)
The best of times, it was the worst of times (aoww)
It's "The Gift & the Curse"

[Chorus: Jay-Z]
R.O.C. YEAH, number one click HERE
If you represent US, throw them diamonds up YEAH
Now let's be CLEAR, I ain't goin no-WHERE
Now that you KNOW, holla at your boy
HOV'.. (Hov', Hov', Hov')
(Hov', Hov', Hov', Hov')


[overlapping first Chorus]
Yeah, Roc-A-Fella Records
You know what diamond is
We ain't goin nowhere, put your diamonds up

[Jay-Z]
Standin in my b-boy stance
Free, Beans, Memphis where you at nigga?
(Right here) Snatch Cam and it's a rap
This here rap belong to us, nobody strong as us, it's a fact
Hold up I'm just warmin up, gimme a second to get it back
Young Chris, Neek what? Oschino and Sparks
Next summer's yo' summer, tear this motherfucker up
Young is eternal, my young'uns'll burn you
"The Blueprint" birthed, nigga I earthed you, you can't be serious
Young cause I'm thirty-two, dressed like I'm twenty-two
Flow like a 18, do what I wanna do
Goin on my 8th ring, got Phil Jackson's and
flow is black magic, I'm at it again
Rose Bowl with black karats, "Horse & Carriage" to spend
like Mason Betha, chasin this cheddar, to the end
of the road because the end I'm told is nearer than we know
What can I say but live for today, HOV'!

[Chorus]

[Jay-Z]
Yeah, "The Blueprint 2" homey, follow the moves
You put on two tube socks, you couldn't walk in my shoes
I was dealt a bad hand, fuck what else could I do
but keep somethin up my sleeve that'll help me through
But can you believe, everywhere I'm at, models come through
Cat-fightin, cat-walkin, it happens often
It's true how society don't want me to move
into the penthouse building with spectacular views
They're like uhh, "He's a menace he could never be a tenant"
I'm like ooh, what's a young nigga to do?
I bring the brothers to the building give a feeling that I don't
give a fuck we just chillin watchin chandelier ceilings high as fuck
Old lady, don't blow my high
'specially if you don't know my life, don't make me bring
Sharpton in it cause I'm dark-skinneded or
dude with the 'fro and the Rainbow Coalition, I'ma
victim of a single parent household, born in a mousehole
Mousetrap, niggaz wanna know
How so, how Jay get up out that, here, yeah
I snatched purses I per-se-vered, yeah
I had work, fiends purchased, it was clear
I was out there sellin hope for despair, but stop there
I swear, I only make good from my mouth to God's ears
Had to get out the hood
And I can't justify genocide
But I was born in the city where the skinny niggaz die
Born in the city where the skinny niggaz ride
And as a skinny nigga I had beef with high size

[Chorus]