I Represent

I represent the city I represent the city I represent the city I represent the city In the city called Yiddy Pretty lights glimmer over these blocks that are gritty Fat Joe told you that the jealous ones envy And the hungry ones be plottin in the cut by the plenty In my close the thirty years, I have noticed this The beautiful and the grotesque often both coexist There's a dame beggin change on the train Needing ice in her veins but she's such a sweet vocalist I understand there's no hope in dope By try to tell that to a 14-year-old wit a golden rope He still young so maybe he hasn't sold his soul So I throw him quotes I picked up as my scrolls unfold If he feel what I'm sayin, he still prob'ly front Be like, "forget all that my, g" then light a blunt But when he sittin upstairs bumpin my newest hit He bound to look back and recognize some of the truth I spit I represent the city New York, New York The walk, the talk Notorious for settin' it off I represent the city Yeah, NYC Without a passport my accent is my ID I represent the city From 212 to 718 Holding it down is what we do I represent the city All my life No matter where I'm at, I gotta rep NY right I represent the home of the real rap You on the mic son, show me where your skills at You kickin nonsense? Nah, I can't feel that This is where the wack get they stage time killed at You mess around and get your whole team booed And the promo CDs you gave out thrown at you It ain't cuz my city's known for being mad rude But we got a legacy of influential rap dudes And women too So responsibility is bigger, true That's why K~Swift will never say no dumbness in an interview Without it being tongue in cheek I even listen when dummies speak Cuz often wisdom is simple as: 1-2-3 I learned my lessons in the street as well as in the books So I'm respected equally by intellectuals and crooks I'm LES to the death, Brooklyn birthed my flesh And Q boro's where half my family rests, yes I represent the city New York, New York The walk, the talk Notorious for settin' it off I represent the city Yeah, NYC Without a passport my accent is my ID I represent the city From 212 to 718 Holding it down is what we do I represent the city All my life No matter where I'm at, I gotta rep NY right Riding on subway lines, I pen the tightest lines Tryna climb to new plateaus to show my brighter shine Twenty-four seven, three sixty-five, it's time to grind Aight I lied, cuz when I party, yo, I'm gotta vibe I don't live at work, I work at life If livin passionately kills me then it's worth that price Because tomorrow ain't promised and I strive for longevity Strong heavenly thoughts pull me towards destiny I make it manifest by puttin' movement behind it Ain't no purpose speculatin' how I'd choose to rewind it Cuz it's forward ever, never look back unless it makes you smile I'm lookin' at the Hip Hop throne, I wanna take the crown That I could be the king e-m-c double e Been a dream to me ever since the age of three Of course it's only one city on earth where this is possible New York metropolis, we made the planet rock for you New York, New York The walk, the talk Notorious for settin' it off Yeah, NYC Without a passport my accent is my ID From 212 to 718 Holding it down is what we do All my life No matter where I'm at, I gotta rep NY right New York, New York Yeah NYC New York, New York Yeah NYC