[Intro]
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]
R.O.C. yeah, number one clique here
If you represent us, throw them diamonds up YEAH
Now let's be clear, I ain't goin' nowhere
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

[Verse 1]
Standin' in my b-boy stance
Free, Beans, Memphis where you at n***a?
(Right here) snatch Cam and it's a wrap
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, Neef what? Oschino and Sparks
Next summer's yo' summer, tear this motherfucker up
Young is eternal, my youngins'll burn you
"The Blueprint" birthed, n***a 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 Zen
Flow is black magic, I'm at it again
Rose Gold 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]
R.O.C. yeah, number one clique here
If you represent us, throw them diamonds up YEAH
Now let's be clear, I ain't goin' nowhere
Now that you know, holla at your boy
HOV'.. (Hov', Hov', Hov')
(Hov', Hov', Hov', Hov')

[Verse 2]
Yeah, The Blueprint 2 homie, 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 n***a 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-skinned-ed or
Dude with the 'fro and the Rainbow Coalition, I'ma
Victim of a single parent household, born in a mouse hole
Mousetrap, n***as 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 n***as die
Born in the city where the skinny n***as ride
And as a skinny n***a I had beef with high size
[Chorus]
R.O.C. yeah, number one clique here
If you represent us, throw them diamonds up YEAH
Now let's be clear, I ain't goin nowhere
Now that you know, holla at your boy
HOV'.. (Hov', Hov', Hov')
(Hov', Hov', Hov', Hov')