How Ya Livin’

Track 9 on Decade 1994–2004

Featuring

Producer

L.E.S.

The 3rd track off of AZ’s 1998 ‘Pieces of a Man’ produced by L.E.S. featuring Nas. AZ on the song in an interview with XXL: “VSin’, nothin’ less than how we… Read More

Mar. 26, 19981 viewer27.6K views

How Ya Livin’ Lyrics

[Verse 1: Nas]
What?
Back-to-back Benzes, with the Wild Gremlins
Gaultier style lenses, talons in the .40 cal', this is life now
Let me find out you want the lifestyle of mine, no pal of mine
Runnin' with goons with knife wounds from jail time
Got the squad lookin' like tycoon, we all shine
While we polly with the flyest mami on 25th street
Watch how honey in the Lex do it
I'm in the 6V with the 12 next to it
You wanna stick me? Then put ya best to it or die, black
We see you in Allah Kingdom if you try that
Check the fly cat, 2-point-5, multiply that
Cash rules, on my arm I flash jewels and tattoos
You can look, but don't touch — we bad news

[Verse 2: AZ]
American me, elegancy, treasury
With the hopes to be rich before they bury me
Born a Baptist, but moved on to higher practice
My fire ashes, only macks I interact with
We all Dons, strong arm, along calm
But if it's war we on, comin' for niggas who crossed me wrong
Select features, sit back, connect the pieces
Inject the thesis, spoke to my pops and left him speechless
He saw me sprout, goin' through worlds that wore me out
Never called me out
Bitches and money — that's what we all about
Through all the routes, landed here
Beach houses with the chandelier
Me and my crew — mad cans of beer
It's copin', live vibe, still eyes open, it's clear
Presidential suites at the Tangier

[Chorus: AZ & Nas]
How you livin' on your block? Mines is hot
How you livin' on your block? (I got it locked)
What's goin' down on your side? Who got shot?
Same shit, dun (Yeah, alright, I'll meet you up top)
Yo, it's hard to shake this feelin' that I might get knocked
Dun, you know it don't stop, we can't close up shop

[Verse 3: AZ]
VVSin', nothin' less than how we steppin'
Coupe's kitted, cuties wit' it, sleazy dressin'
See me flexin' through the hood, D's be stressin'
Illegal search, tryna find weapons for gun possession
Never one for questions, every move made is destined
Black fluorescence, let's take it back to the essence
Another version of the Goldie Mack pimp servin'
Convince the urban, project ghetto prince emergin'
Half-Hispanic, hollow tips, massive damage
The path was granted, loaded gats, blast the cannon
Chipped up, live by morals, don't get it mixed up
Diss what? Millionaire strut with the crisp cut
Switched up, slow goin', gold showin'
Doe flowin', eyes don't lie, hoes knowin'
Main attraction, lace love in the latest fashion
Trained in mackin', never rockin' Gators clashin'
Assorted wear, AZ — Firm extraordinaire
Make it more severe, lockin' shit down all this year

[Verse 4: Nas & (AZ)]
Nowhere to go from here but the top of this sphere
Nothin' stoppin' us here, we lockin' this here
With the black toaster by my hip bone, fuck a holster
See me at the Copa, platinum choker
The Gods with me, mad blunt smoke, it's hard to miss me
Pick one outta two dimes to twist me
New 9's is crispy, mind on chips
Rhyme on shit that's strictly made for cats who's rich
Excuse me, is that your bitch in my 6?
Turnin' up the volume when she hear my hits
On her wall mad flicks, now you want me blasted
But don't get it confused over this rap shit
Kinda laced, lookin' at diamonds in my Onyx face
Oyster Perpetual Rollie with the Day-Date
Y'all playa hate this
Too fly for female singers who get face lifts and fake titties
We rule the world and take cities — I dreamed of this, son
Happy we made it past the Jakes, fakes and fiends in the slum
(Word!)

[Chorus: AZ & (Nas)]
(How you livin' on your block?) Mines is hot
How you livin' on your block? (I got it locked)
(What's goin' down on your side? Who got shot?)
Same shit, dun (Yeah, alright, I'll meet you up top)
Yo, it's hard to shake this feelin' that I might get knocked
(Dun, you know it don't stop, we can't close up shop)

[Outro: AZ & (Nas)]
(Uh...what?) It's a doe thang
Niggas know the game don't change
(Uh, uh) From the coke game (Coke game) to the dope game
From a slow brain (Dope game) Haha! (Fuck a no-name)
We done did it again, son, they can't FUCK wit' that!
(No doubt, uh)
You know the game don't stop
From the coke game to the dope game
(Firm Biz, Firm Biz... uh... Total Package)
Niggas know that the game don't stop
From the coke game to the dope game, fuck a no-name
(Uh, uh, B.K., Q.B., uh)
That the game don't stop, from the coke game
To the dope game, know the doe... (Escobar, Sosa, haha, uh)
Niggas know that the game don't stop (Firm Biz)
From the coke game to the dope game
Niggas know that the game don't stop
Niggas know that the game don't stop
Niggas know that the game don't stop
From the coke game to the dope game, fuck a no-name

Embed

About

Genius Annotation

The 3rd track off of AZ’s 1998 ‘Pieces of a Man’ produced by L.E.S. featuring Nas.

AZ on the song in an interview with XXL:

“VSin’, nothin’ less than how we steppin’/Coupes kidded, cuties wear the sleazy dress/See me flexin’ through the hood, d’s be stressin’/Illegal search, trying to find weapons for gun possession.” I think that happened to everybody in my age bracket.

At that time, Nas went double platinum. The Firm album was in process. We were just reflecting on life. We were just giving documentation on the life that we live. We in the music business, but we still have friends of ours still going through it, that was going through that zone at that particular time.

We was just referencing. You know, “Chipped up, live by morals don’t get it mixed up/This what? Million strut, with the Crist cup/” We were just wildin’. We was like, “Yo, we here. We made it. We representing for y’all-type of shit.”

This song samples Glenn Jones – Show Me which was also sampled by Ice Cube and Crazy Bone’s Until We Rich