歌手:Jay-Z
专辑:《American Gangster》

作词 : Carter, Shawn C.
作曲 : Carter, Shawn C.
Mind state of a gangster from the 40's,
meets the business mind of motown's Berry Gordy,
turned crack rock into a chain of 40/40's,
sorry my jewerly is so gaudy, slid into the party with my new pair of Mauri's,
America, meet the gangster Shawn Corey, hey young world,
wanna hear a story,
close your eyes and you can pretend you're me,
I'm cut from the cloth of the Kennedys, Frank Sinatra havin' dinner with the Genovese',
the is the genesis of a nemisis,
mother America not witnessed since,
the harlem renaissance birthed black businessman,
this is the tale of lost innocence,
and the incense burns and the turntables turn,
and that Al Green plays,
I see my mothers afro, as mama taps her toes,
as she rolls her j's,
and my papa just left the house,
in search of a killer of my uncle Ray, and she's trying to calm her nerves,
as i observe this is just one day,
and what tomorrow has in store,
we can never be sure, so all we can do is... pray
As i head to my home-room,
I observe the ruins, **** needles on the ground,
i hear a car go vroom,
drug dealer in the bm with the top down,
as the girls start to giggle,
i ask why you laugh??
they say you're to little,
one day you'll understand,
when you become a man,
'bout things you have to get you,
fast forward freeze frame,
on my pistol fistful of dollars,
ignorance is so blessful,
I ain't choose this life,
this life chose me,
around here it's the ****,
that you just do,
i just left school, the same bm is pulled over,
by the boys dressed in blue,
they had their guns drawn,
screaming "just move",
or is there something else you suggest we can do?,
he made his way to the drunk,
opened it like "huh", a treasure chest was removed,
cops said he'll be back next month,
what we call curpt, he call's payin' dues,
now when rules is blurred, as they were,
what am i to do but ....pray.
pray the lord forgives me,
pray he guides me for what i'm 'bout to go through.... pray
anywhere there's oppression,
the drug profession, flourishes like beverages,
refreshing, sweet taste of sin,
everything i seen made me everything i am,
bad drug dealer or victim, i beg,
what came first, moving the chickens or the egg?,
this is why i be so fresh,
i'm trying to beat life, 'cause i can't cheat death,
treat shame like shamelessness, aim,
stainless at anuses,
you know the game this is,
move coke like pepsi, don't matter what brand name it is,
i stand behind mine, everything i do i'm a man behind mine,
I'm not an angel, I'm sure,
but every night before i lay, I drop my knees to the floor,
and I pray.