Video musicale
Video musicale
Crediti
PERFORMING ARTISTS
JAY-Z
Lead Vocals
Sharlotte Gibson
Vocals
Run-DMC
Sampled Artist
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Shawn Carter
Songwriter
David Blake
Songwriter
Darryl McDaniels
Songwriter
Joseph Simmons
Songwriter
Lawrence Smith
Songwriter
Madonna Ciccone
Songwriter
Ingrid Chavez
Songwriter
Lenny Kravitz
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
DJ Quik
Producer
Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton
Recording Engineer
Darrell Thorp
Mixing Engineer
Chris Steflene
Assistant Engineer
Tony Dawsey
Mastering Engineer
Testi
[Intro]
Uh, 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]
It goes one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, Roc
Five, six, seven o'clock, eight o'clock, Roc
Eleven o'clock, twelve 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 **** 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 **** 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 till it's heaven
[Chorus]
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
[Verse 2]
Now if you shoot my dog, I'ma kill your cat
Just the unwritten laws in rap, know that
For every action, there's a reaction, don't have me relapsin'
Relaxing'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 motherfuckin' 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
[Chorus]
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
[Verse 3]
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, **** standin' tight as lemons 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]
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
Written by: Carlton Ridenhour, Darryl McDaniels, David Blake, Eric Sadler, Ingrid Chavez, James Henry Boxley III, Joseph Simmons, Lawrence Smith, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna Ciccone, Shawn Carter