[Hook: Troy Ave]
Annotate Aye yo, times is hard, but we get through it
And even though it's crimes involved, we had to do 'em

By any means, Malcolm X marks the spot
I went from ridin' bikes to ridin' through in a drop
The road to success for me was real gritty

Wasn't no stress for me, don't feel pity
Life is a (*##$ and she sure ain't pretty
And I'mma do me anyway, ^!$$%

Cause I'm from New York City

[Verse 1: Troy Ave]

I break bread, ribs, hundred dollar bills
A young prodigy when it come to drug deals
In New York I get blood money

Dirty cash bought my matte black Jeep
I used to skip out on cabs
Went from givin' no dough to given limos to get to shows

Either way I'm driven - this %#@! shows
Spit flows like Bō, sick hoes, got a Master Rolex watch above my Mo'
Drinkin' champagne out the bottle

Young Crisco, pop it, hop in, let's politic, ditto
Same ^!$$%s sayin' "time to get this money"
They've been the same ^!$$%s sayin' that for years, still hungry

New discussion: New York artists wanna be southern
The city's lost, so out-of-towners find themselves frontin'
It was Big, Jay Z, now Troy here after

But Kendrick Lamar's just a weirdo rapper

[Hook]


[Verse 2: Raekwon]
We went from Uzis to elephant guns

Small pistols on Gynsills - little shorties, cheeba, big forties
Sittin' back in the 'hood - good, ^!$$%, good
Retrievin' every dollar bill, grabbin' my wood

You know we specialists at nighttime
Call us the poisonous pumpers
Who run up on these ^!$$%s like Nightline

The arsonists and good vines
That means the wares is amazing - $$#ignment, baby, since '89
Creepin' through hallways, big laundry bags

Four Ks - handle them ^!$$%s, now jam ^!$$%s
$#&@ they gon' do with no CREAM? You might as well be a bum
Cause you could never represent the money team

We smash faces, flash bracelets, that's the basic
Don't get smacked in your mouth with 45 razors
Yeah, the jungle brothers rollin' with all coverage

Get 'em young Troy - What? He $#&@ed with us

[Hook]


[Verse 3: N.O.R.E.]
You know how I steady rock - New York City bop

Used to slang grainy rock - war on the petty block
Back-to-back cases
Now we drink liquor, drinkin' back-to-back cases

No, we ain't erase this
Spades hand, aces - out of town papers
Luck's all Vegas - herb %#@!, Avis

I graduated from the street life accordingly
Said my first rhyme on a jail phone, recordedly
I been shot ^!$$%s since 14

I've been to war, mean - got guns from Fort Greene
I exorted ^!$$%s - I was the re-up man
I gave the orders, ^!$$% - P.A.P.I. gave the orders, ^!$$%

King flow, used to get !@%!e from Domingo
Get up in the old folks' home, he's playin' bingo
He sold it for 10, but I got him for cinco

Safe in the ceiling, the guns under the sink flow

[Hook]


[Verse 4: Prodigy]
The life and times of a New York ^!$$%, we very different

Please pardon my aggression, but move from my vision
With that bull%#@! you spittin', you talkin' my high off
You blowin' my vibe, you forcin' my iron off my belt
I'm forcin' myself to be chill
Listen to them journalists, get yourself killed

They ain't never lived this life, and no near nothin' 'bout it
They hide behind aliases and talk rowdy
From behind a MacBook, $#&@ a blog, dawg
If I see you in the flesh you'll be shook
Like a martini - I know they tired of me

I know they wish I would die already, but I'm very dope
I'm so cold, you should get your February coat
That NY %#@!, you ^!$$%s got warm hearts
No offense, but I'll tear you apart
No matter which part of the map you reppin', get your weapon


[Hook]