[Produced by L.E.S. & Nas] [Intro] (AZ) Ayo what's up what's up let's keep it real son Count this money, you know what I'm sayin' (Nas) Yeah yeah (AZ) Ayo put the Grants over there in the safe you know what I'm sayin' Cause we spendin' these Jacksons The Washingtons go to wifey, you know how that go (Nas) I'm sayin' that's what this is all about right Clothes, bankrolls and hoes you know what I'm sayin' Yo then what man, what [Verso 1: AZ] Visualizing the realism of life in actuality f** who's the baddest, a person's status depends on salary And my mentality is money-orientated I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it Cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as 5 percenters But somethin' musta got in us cause all of us turned to sinners Now some rest in peace and some are sittin' in San Quentin Others such as myself are trying to carry on tradition Keeping this Schweppervescent street ghetto essence inside us Cause it provides us with the proper insight to guide us Even though, we know somehow we all gotta go But as long as we leaving thievin' We'll be leavin' with some kind of dough, so Until that day we expire and turn to vapors Me and my capers, will be somewhere stackin' plenty papers Keeping it real, packing steel, getting high Cause life's a b**h and then you die [Refrão: AZ] Life's a b**h and then you die That's why we get high Cause you never know when you're gonna go Life's a b**h and then you die That's why we puff lye Cause you never know when you're gonna go [Verso 2: Nas] I woke up early on my born day; I'm 20, it's a blessing The essence of adolescence leaves my body, now I'm fresh and My physical frame is celebrated cause I made it One quarter through life some Godly-like thing created Got rhymes 365 days annual plus some Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I pus from My skull cause it's pain in my brain vein, money maintain Don't go against the grain, simple and plain When I was young, at this I used to do my thing hard Robbin foreigners, take their wallets, their j**els, and rip their green cards Dipped to the projects flashing my quick cash and Got my first piece of a** smokin blunts with hash Now it's all about cash in abundance n***as I used to run with is rich or doing years in the hundreds I switched my motto; instead of saying "f** tomorrow" That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back Time is Illmatic, keep static like wool fabric Pack a 4-matic to crack your whole cabbage [Refrão]