Izzo (H.O.V.A.) [MTV Unplugged]

[Intro]

Welcome to Jay Z's poetry reading

Halt, who goes there?

Do this, do this {*does poetry snaps, audience follows*}

It was the winter

It was cold

It was the cold winter

Welcome ladies and gentleman once again

As if we never left

It's MTV Unplugged

I'll be your host this evening

I go by a couple of names

People call me a lot of names, couple to my face you know

Sometimes they call me Jay Z

Sometimes they call me Jigga

Sometimes they call me Young Hov

Iceberg, tonight I'm

(H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A)

You gotta love that

(H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A)

I got the most incredible Roots band with me tonight y'all

(H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A)

It's a beautiful thing

Welcome everybody to the 8th Wonder of the world

(H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A)

The flow of the century

Always timeless

(H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A)

Hov

We gonna thank everybody for coming out

(H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A)

You could've been anywhere in the world, you're here with me

I appreciate that

Let's rock

[Verse 1]

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

Was herbin' em in the home of the Terrapins, got it dirt cheap for them

Plus if they was short with cheese I would work with them

I Brought in weed, got rid of that dirt for them

Wasn't born hustlers, I was birthing 'em

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For sheezy my neezy keep my arms so breezy

Can't leave rap alone, the game needs me

Haters want me clap that chrome, it ain't easy

Cops want to knock me, D.A. wants to box me in

But somehow I beat them charges like Rocky

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

Still not guilty, he who does not feel me

Is not real to me, therefore he doesn't exist

So poof! (Vamoose, son of a bitch!)

[Hook]

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That's the anthem, get'cha damn hands up!

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

Still not guilty y'all got to feel me

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That's the anthem, get'cha damn hands up!

[Verse 2]

I do this for my culture

To let them know what ya boy look like when ya boy in that Roadster

Show them how to move in a room full of vultures

Industry is shady, it needs to be taken over

Label owners hate me, I'm raising the status quo up

I'm overcharging labels for what they did to the Cold Crush

Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hoed us

We can talk, but money talks, so talk more bucks

[Hook]

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That's the anthem, get'cha damn hands up!

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That's the anthem, get'cha damn hands up!

[Verse 3]

Hov is back, life stories told through rap

They acting like I sold you crack

Like I told you sell drugs; no, Hov did that

So hopefully you won't have to go through that

I was raised in the projects, roaches and rats

Smokers out back selling their mama's sofa

Lookouts on the corner focused on the ave

Ladies in the window, focused on the kinfolk

Me under a lamppost, why I got my hand closed?

That's in my palm, watching the long arm of the law

So you know I seen it all before

I've seen Hoop Dreams deflate like a true fiend's weight

To try and to fail: the two things I hate

Succeed in this rap game: the two things that's great

H O V A

(What else can I say about dude? I gets bu-sy)

Yeah!

[Hook]

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That's the anthem, get'cha damn hands up!

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That's the anthem, get'cha damn hands up!

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

That's the anthem, get'cha damn hands up!

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

For shizzle my nizzle used to dribble down in VA

H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

Fo sheezy my neezy keep my arms so greasy