Can you hear me now? Good! (Blueprint 2 baby!)
The best of times, it was the worst of times (aoww)
It's "The Gift & the Curse"

[Hook: Jay-Z]
R.O.C. yeah, number one clique here
If you represent us, throw them diamonds up YEAH
Now let's be clear, I ain't goin nowhere
Now that you know, holla at your boy
HOV'.. (Hov', Hov', Hov')
(Hov', Hov', Hov', Hov')

[Overlapping first Hook]
Yeah, Roc-A-Fella Records
You know what diamond is
We ain't goin nowhere, put your diamonds up

[Jay-Z]
Standin in my b-boy stance
Free, Beans, Memphis where you at [bad word] 
(Right here) snatch Cam and it's a wrap
This here rap belong to us, nobody strong as us, it's a fact
Hold up I'm just warmin up, gimme a second to get it back
Young Chris, Neef what? Oschino and Sparks
Next summer's yo' summer, tear this [bad word] up
Young is eternal, my young'uns'll burn you
"The Blueprint" birthed, [bad word] I earthed you, you can't be serious
Young cause I'm thirty-two, dressed like I'm twenty-two
Flow like a 18, do what I wanna do
Goin on my 8th ring, got Phil Jackson's Zen
Flow is black magic, I'm at it again
Rose Gold with black karats, "Horse & Carriage" to spend
Like Mason Betha, chasing this cheddar to the end
Of the road because the end I'm told is nearer than we know
What can I say but live for today, HOV'!

[Hook]

[Jay-Z]
Yeah, "The Blueprint 2" homey, follow the moves
You put on two tube socks, you couldn't walk in my shoes
I was dealt a bad hand, [bad word] what else could I do
But keep somethin up my sleeve that'll help me through
But can you believe, everywhere I'm at, [bad word] through
Cat-fightin, cat-walkin, it happens often
It's [bad word] how society don't want me to move
Into the penthouse building with spectacular views
They're like uhh, "He's a menace he could never be a tenant"
I'm like ooh, what's a young [bad word] to do?
I bring the brothers to the building give a feeling that I don't
Give a [bad word] we just chillin watchin chandelier ceilings high as [bad word] Old lady, don't blow my high
'specially if you don't know my life, don't make me bring
Sharpton in it cause I'm dark-skinneded or
Dude with the 'fro and the Rainbow Coalition, I'mma
Victim of a single parent household, born in a mousehole
Mousetrap, niggas wanna know
How so, how Jay get up out that, here, yeah
I snatched purses I per-se-vered, yeah
I had work, fiends purchased, it was clear
I was out there sellin hope for despair, but stop there
I swear, I only make good from my mouth to God's ears
Had to get out the hood
And I can't justify genocide
But I was born in the city where the skinny niggas die
Born in the city where the skinny niggas ride
And as a skinny [bad word] I had beef with high size

[Hook]