Justify My Thug

[Produced by DJ Quik]

[Intro: JAY-Z]

Uhh, this feel right right here, Quik

It's like it's supposed to happen, this one right here

Young! Goddamn

Let me justify my thug on this one right here

[Verse 1: JAY-Z]

It goes one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, Roc

Five six seven o'clock, eight o'clock, Roc

11 o'clock, 12 o'clock, the party 'bout to pop

Then, Roc-A-Fella, y'all, it's your boy S. Dot

And I ain't never been to jail; I ain't never pay a nigga

To do no dirt for me I was scared to do myself

I will never tell, even if it means sittin' in a cell

I ain't never ran, never will

I ain't never been smacked; a nigga better keep his hands to himself

Or get clapped for what's under that man's belt

I never asked for nothin' I don't demand of myself

Honesty, loyalty, friends, and then wealth

Death before dishonor, and I tell you what else

I tighten my belt 'fore I beg for help

Foolish pride is what held me together through the years

I wasn't felt, which is why I ain't never played myself

I just play the hand I'm dealt, I can't say I've never knelt

Before God and asked for better cards at times, to no avail

But I never sat back feelin' sorry for myself

If you don't give me heaven I'll raise hell

'Til it's heaven

[Chorus: Sharlotte Gibson]

Justify my thug For you

My thug (Hoping)

My thug (Praying) For you

To justify my thug

My thug (Hoping)

My thug (Praying) For you

For you

[Verse 2: JAY-Z]

Now if you shoot my dog, I'ma kill yo' cat

Just the unwritten laws in rap, know that

For every action there's a reaction, don't have me relapsin'

Relaxin's what I'm about, but about mine

Don't be actin' like you can't see street action

Take me back to Reasonable Doubt time

You see my mind's on the finish line, facin' the wreck

I put my muh'fuckin' faith in the TEC, tell Satan "not yet"

You understand I am chasin' my breath

I am narrowly escapin' my death, oh yes

I am the Michael Schumacher of the Roc roster

Travellin' Mach 5, barrel in my apparel can stop God

God forgive me, but I can't let them deliver me to you

Until, I won this race, then eventually

My engine gon' burn out, I get whatever is meant for me

However it turns out fine, red line! Hov

[Chorus: Sharlotte Gibson]

Justify my thug For you

My thug (Hoping)

My thug (Praying) For you

To justify my thug

My thug (Hoping)

My thug (Praying) For you

For you

[Verse 3: JAY-Z]

They say "an eye for an eye, we both lose our sight"

And "two wrongs don't make a right"

But when you been wronged and you know all along that it's just one life

At what point does one fight? (Good question, right?)

'Fore you knock the war, try to put your dogs in his ten-and-a-halfs, 

For a minute-and-a-half

Bet that stops all the grinnin' and the laughs

When you play the game of life and the win ain't in the bag

When your options is none and the pen is all you have

Or the block, niggas standin' tight as Lemmings on the ave

Tryin' to cop a shop – call theyself cleansin' in the cash

But can't put they name on paper 'cause, then you on-blast

"Mr. President, there's drugs in our residence

Tell me what you want me to do, come break bread with us"

"Mr. Governor, I swear there's a cover-up

Every other corner there's a liquor store, fuck is up?"

[Chorus: Sharlotte Gibson]

Justify my thug For you

My thug (Hoping)

My thug (Praying) For you

To justify my thug

My thug (Hoping)

My thug (Praying) For you

For you