Can I Live

Yeah, yeah Roc-A-Fella
We invite you to, something epic y'all know?
Where we hustle out of a sense of, hopelessness
Sort of a desperation
Through that desperation, we 'come addicted
Sorta like the fiends we accustomed to serving
But we feel we have nothing to lose
So we offer you, well, we offer our lives (right)
What do you bring to the table?

While I'm watching every nigga watching me closely
My shit is butter for the bread they wanna toast me
I keep my head, both of them where they supposed to be
Hoes'll get you sidetracked then clap from close feet
I don't sleep, I'm tired, I feel wired like Codeine, these days
A brother gotta admire from four fiends away
My pain wish it was quick to see, from selling 'Caine
'Til brains was fried to a fricassee, can't lie
At the time it never bothered me, at the bar
Getting my thug on properly, my squad and me
Lack of respect for authority, laughing hard
Happy to be escaping poverty, however brief
I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation
For dips, four precipitation we stack chips, hardly
The youth I used to be, soon to see a mill'in
No more, Big Willie my game has grown prefer you call me William
Illin' for revenues, Rayful Edmonds like
Channel 7 news, 'round seven jewels, hand getting the mic
Forgetting all I ever knew, convenient amnesia
I suggest you call my lawyer, I know the procedure
Lock my body, can't trap my mind, easily
Explain why we adapt to crime
I'd rather die enormous than live dormant that's how we on it
Live at the main event, I bet a trip to Maui on it
Presidential suites my residential for the weekend
Confidentially speaking in codes since I sense you peeking
The INXS rental, don't be fooled my game is mental
We both out of town dog, what you trying to get into?
Viva, Las Vegas, see ya, later at the crap tables
Meet me by the one that starts a G up
This way no fraud Willie's present gambling they re-up
And we can have a pleasant time, sipping margaritas

Yeah, can I live?
Can I live?

My mind is infested, with sick thoughts that circle
Like a Lexus, if driven wrong it's sure to hurt you
Dual level like duplexes, in unity, my crew and me
Commit atrocities like we got immunity
You guessed it, manifest it in tangible goods
Platinum Rolexed it, we don't lease
We buy the whole car, as you should
My confederation, dead a nation, explode!
On detonation, overload the mind of a said patient
When it balls to steam, it comes to it
We all fiends gotta do it, even righteous minds go through this
True this, the streets school us to spend our money foolish
Bond with jewelers and, watch for intruders
I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist
Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous, dreams of
Getting cream let's do this, it gets tedious
So I keep one eye open like, C-B-S, ya see me
Stressed right? Can I live?

Can I live?
Can I live?
Can I live?
Roc-A-Fella y'all