I woke up early on my born day, I'm twenty years of blessing
The essence of adolescent leaves my body now I'm fresh in
My physical frame is celebrated cause I made it

One quarter through life some God-ly like thing created
Got rhymes 365 days annual plus some
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I puffs from

my skull cause it's pain in my brain vein money maintain
Don't go against the grain simple and plain
When I was young at this I used to do my thing hard

Robbin foreigners take they wallets they jewels and rip they green cards
Dipped to the projects flashin my quick cash
and got my first piece of $$# smokin blunts with hash

Now it's all about cash in abundance, ^!$$%z I used to run with
is rich or doin years in the hundreds
I switched my motto ? instead of sayin $#&@ tomorrow

That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto
Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks
I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back

Time is Illmatic keep static like wool fabric
Pack a four-matic that crack your whole cabbage


Life's a (*##$ and then you die; that's why we get high
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a (*##$ and then you die; that's why we get high high high

Chi, Chi-town baby, yeah