Where I'm From - Jay-Z

Written by：Norman Whitfield/JAY-Z/Deric"D-Dot" Angelettie/Ronald Anthony"Amen-ra" Lawrence

Uh huh je je je je jeah

Ye ye yeah ye ye yeah

How real is this how real is this

Uh huh huh inspect this here check

I'm from where the hammer's rung new's cameras never come

You and your man's hung in every verse in your rhyme

Where the grams is slung niggas vanish every summer

Where the blue vans would come we throw the work in the can and run

Where the plans was to get funds and skate off the set

To achieve this goal quicker sold all my weight wet

Faced with immeasurable odds still I get straight bets

So I felt some more something and you nothing check

I from the other side with other guys don't walk to much

And girls in the projects wouldn't f**k us if we talked too much

So they ran up tompkins and sought them dudes to trust

I don't know what the f**k they thought those niggas is foul just like us

I'm from where the beef is inevitable summertime's unforgetable

Boosters in abundance buy a half price sweater new

Your world was everything so everything you said you'd do

You did it couldn't talk about it if you ain't lived it

I from where niggas pull your car and argue all day about

Who's the best mc's biggie Jay Z and nas

Where the *** czars evolve and thugs always are

At each other's throats for the love of foreign cars

Where cats catch cases hoping the judge r and r's

But most times find themselves locked up behind bars

I'm from where they ball and breed rhyme stars

I'm from marcy son just thought I'd remind y'all

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

I'm from the place where the chruch is the flakiest

And niggas is praying to god so long that they atheist

Where you can't put your vest away and say you'll wear it tomorrow

Cause the day after we'll be saying damn I was just with him yesterday

I'm a block away from hell not enough shots away from straight shells

An ounce away from a triple beam still using a hand held weight scale

Your laughing you know the place well

Where the liqour store's and the base well

And government f**k government niggas polotic themselves

Where we call the cops the a team

Cause they hop out of vans and spray things

And life expectancy so low we making out wills at eight teen

Where how you get rid of guys who step out of line your rep solidifies

So tell me when I rap you think I give a f**k who criticize

If the sh*t is lies god strike me

And I got a question are you forgiving guys who live just like me

We'll never know

One day I pray to you and said if I ever blow let 'em know

Mistakes ain't exactly what takes place in the ghetto

Promise fulfilled but still I feel my job ain't done

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

I'm from where they cross over and clap boards

Lost jehovah in place of rap lords listen

I'm up the block round the corner and down the street

From where the pimps prostitutes and the ** lords meet

We make a million off of beats cause our stories is deep

And f**k tomorrow as long as the night before was sweet

Niggas get lost for weeks in the streets twisted off w**d

And no matter the weather niggas know how to draw heat

Whether your four feet or minute size it always starts out with

Three dice and shoot the five

Niggas thought they douce was live now hit 'em with trips

And I reached down for their money pa forget about this

This time around it's platinum like the sh*t on my wrist

And this glock on my waist y'all can't do sh*t about this

Niggas will show you love that's how they fool thugs

Before you know it your lying in a pool of blood

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice

Mentally been many places but I'm brooklyn's own

Cough up a lung where I'm from marcy son ain't nothing nice