December 4th - JAY-Z: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts

December 4th

7,767

Hip-Hop/Rap

December 4th was released on January 1, 2004 by Roc Nation / Jay-Z as a part of the album The Black Album (Acappella)

Song Details

AlbumThe Black Album (Acappella)

Release DateJanuary 1, 2004

LabelRoc Nation / Jay-Z

Melodicness

Acousticness

Valence

Danceability

Energy

BPM91

OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

Music Video

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS

JAY-Z

Performer

COMPOSITION & LYRICS

Elijah Powell

Songwriter

Justin Smith

Songwriter

Shawn Carter

Songwriter

Walter Boyd

Songwriter

PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING

Just Blaze

Producer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

They say they never really miss you till you dead or you gone

So on that note, I'm leavin' after this song

So you ain't gotta feel no way about JAY, so long

At least let me tell you why I'm this way, hold on

I was conceived by Gloria Carter and Adnis Reeves

Who made love under the sycamore tree

Which makes me a more sicker MC, and my mama would claim

At ten pounds when I was born, I didn't give her no pain

Although through the years, I gave her her fair share

I gave her her first real scare, I made up for birth when I got here

She knows my purpose wasn't purpose, I ain't perfect, I care

But I feel worthless, 'cause my shirts wasn't matchin' my gear

Now I'm just scratchin' the surface

'Cause it was buried under there

Was a kid torn apart once his pop disappeared

I went to school, got good grades, could behave when I wanted

But I had demons deep inside that would raise when confronted

Hold on

[Verse 2]

Shawn was a very shy child growing up

He was into sports, and a funny story is

At four, he taught himself how to ride a bike

A two-wheeler at that

Isn't that special?

But I noticed a change in him

When me and my husband broke up

[Verse 3]

Now all the teachers couldn't reach me

And my mama couldn't beat me

Hard enough to match the pain of my pops not seein' me

So with that distain in my membrane

Got on my pimp game, fuck the world, my defense came

Then DeHaven introduced me to the game

Spanish Jose introduced me to 'caine, I'm a hustler now

My gear is in and I'm in the in-crowd

And all the wavy, light-skinned girls is lovin' me now

My self-esteem went through the roof, man, I got my swag

Got a Volvo from this girl when her man got bagged

Plus, I hit my mama with cash from a show that I had

Supposedly, knowin' nobody paid Jaz whack ass

I'm gettin' ahead of myself, by the way, I could rap

But that came second to me movin' this crack

"Gimme a second, I swear," I would say about my rap career

Till '96 came, ****, I'm here, goodbye

[Verse 4]

Shawn used to be in the kitchen

Beating on the table and rapping

And, um, until the wee hours of the morning

And then I bought him a boombox

And his sisters and brothers said that he would drive them nuts

But that was my way to keep him close to me and out of trouble

[Verse 5]

Goodbye to the game, all the spoils, the adrenaline rush

Your blood boils, you in the spot, knowin' cops could rush

And you in a drop, you're so easy to touch

No two days are alike, except the first and fifteenth, pretty much

And trust is a word you seldom hear from us

Hustlers, we don't sleep, we rest one eye up

And the drought will define a man when the well dries up

You learn the worth of water without work

You thirst till you die, yup

And **** get tied up for product

And lil' brothers' ring fingers get cut up

To show mothers they really got 'em

And this is the stress I lived with

Till I decided to try this rap shit for a living

I pray I'm forgiven

For every bad decision I made, ever sister I played

'Cause I'm still paranoid to this day

And it's nobody fault, I made the decisions I made

This is the life I chose, or rather, the life that chose me

[Verse 6]

If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is whack

Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black

If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is whack

Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black

Now if you can't respect that, your whole perspective is whack

Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black

If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is whack

Maybe you'll love me when I fade

Written by: Elijah Powell, Justin Smith, Shawn Carter, Walter Boyd

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