Uhh 
Yo yo yo y'all 
Whattup? Whattup 
It's time man (Word it's time?) 
Straight up it's time man 
Aight set that [bad word] off 
(Set it off then [bad word] set it off) 

Broken glass in the hallway bloodstained floors 
Neighbors look at every bag you bring through your doors 
Lock the top lock momma shoulda cuffed me to the radiator 
Why not? It might've saved later from my block 
N.Y. cops hookers crawlin off the stroll, coughin 
stitches in they head, stinkin and I dread thinkin they be snitchin 
But who else, could it be, shook at these, unmarked vans 
Parked in the dark -- NARC's, where's your heart? 
Hustlers starve; they bust a U-e I jog 
to my building [bad word] out later wearin camouflage 
See the sergeant and the captain -- strangle men 
Niggaz gaspin for air; til they move no more and just stare 
with dead eyes -- tired of riots, [bad word] is quiet 
Simple-minded fools infiltrate grimy crews 
Overcrowded cribs, uncles home from bids, sister's pregnant 
father's on [bad word]  moms is smokin, beds is [bad word] infested 
Had eight partners growin up, eight turned to seven 
Seven turned to six niggaz, got two in heaven 
Six of us, holdin it, now it's five rollin thick 
The sixth one's parole flipped; five niggaz, went to fo' quick 
when he went O.T., college life, converted into gangbangin 
Four niggaz still hangin, years passed and slang changin 
Three of us now, fourth [bad word] ain't around 
We all thought he was real -- he did the snake [bad word] 
Fake [bad word] -- beat his [bad word] down, yo his mouth 
could've got us all wasted, what a [bad word] clown 
All I got left in the end is two of my best friends 
And we all goin out, to the death for these ends, WHAT? 

New York, New York ("New York state of mind" -> Rakim) 
New York, New York ("New York state of mind" -> Rakim) 
*repeat while Nas is talking* 

You heard about it, you see about it 
You read about it, it's in your papers 
It's in your daily news ("Get money!") 
New York chronicles, every day 
The crime rate, the murder rate 
The money rate, the paper chase, youknowhatImean? 
New York state of mind baby, check it out 

[Nas] 
I'm at the, gamblin spot, my hands on a knot 
New York Yankee cap cover my eyes, stand in one spot 
I take a [bad word] dough, send him home, to a shoebox 
You lost that [bad word] I put your dollar in the jukebox 
Hear my favorite song, all these niggaz sing along 
All the ciggarette smoke's cloggin my lungs, hoodrats flashin they tongue 
Young thugs blastin they gun, we got reputations  [bad word] and niggaz both on parole or probation  [bad word] is sick, niggaz got gats, army fatigues 
I got my eyes glued on, whoever walk in the lead 
Cause I ain't playin, [bad word] up in here and shoot up this [bad word] 
Stick yo' [bad word] up, niggaz'll find the loot in your kicks 
Bunch of triple-cross niggaz, just New York niggaz 
Lift you off your feet when they was just talkin with you 
Some of these dudes the Feds be on em, you knew em for years 
Be the type when you walk in a pub, they offer you beers 
That ain't gangsta, niggaz is up North with tatted tears 
Your name's on the affadavit, you ratted kid  [bad word] [bad word] niggaz that be scared to do they bids  [bad word] you, [bad word] you out of N.Y, you can't live 
Got your quiet niggaz, that relocated down South [bad word] back to floss, then you got the jealous loudmouths 
All of a sudden we got Crips and Bloods, D.T.'s [bad word] round quick to split your mug, it's ea-sy to score 
but it's hard to get the [bad word] off 
Niggaz fightin over hundred sales, jump in the car and drive off 
When the [bad word] around the block, happy as [bad word] 
Niggaz, mad cause they ain't get a piece of that sale 
Cutthroat connivers, universal, ghetto survivors 
Go to any hood that's live and make it liver 
lo